Briarlight's Cure
by CrimsonFlame07
Summary: She knew that her Clan wouldn't be able to help her with her legs. They kept telling her it was hopeless; that she would be a cripple forever. But when a newcomer from a different place reveals that not all hope is lost, Briarlight must choose if to leave or stay. New friends, more danger, and even stronger evils threaten to topple not only the Clans, but Briarlight too.
1. Prologue

**(I'D HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU READ THIS FIRST! I DON'T WANT TO EXPLAIN IT AGAIN!)**

**First things first; THIS IS A FANFIC! Erin Hunter is the SOLE OWNER of the real Warrior Cats Series. I am merely a devoted fan that has been inspired to write and create stories from my twisted mind from the time I opened the page of 'Into the Wild'. I will warn you all here and now, of course there is gonna be some alternating changes. Some you may expect it. Others, it's possible they will be sucker punches to you, my fair audience. So let's be clear on a few things; ****Yes, I know some characters may sound OOC. ****I will be very blunt with this (cause people complained in my Inuyasha fanfic): I am not a genius. I am NOT Erin Hunter. They are the owners and truly know the in's and out's of their characters (if they can keep up with all of them) If you truly expect more out of me and me being like Hunter, you're sadly and VERY mistaken. Take that with caution. **

**Secondly; ****I understand the warrior code is suppose to bring a "stabilized" condition between the four Clans. ****I'll be honest, I have a bit of an issue with the code and how the cats act upon it. This story is meant to question the "truth" behind such old rules that haven't been changed in years. So many debates have risen up about the warrior code, and I'm hoping this story can mash out some sort of better reality from the codes. Breaking the rules for the greater good has to happen once in a while. **

**Thirdly, this has so many pairings (both canon and non-canon) in it that it makes my head hurt. They don't appear at first, but in time they will come. The main one (if you haven't fan-based it already) is Briarlight X Jayfeather. **If you don't like this pair, please don't say so. Either enjoy the ride, or leave.**

**I have busted my rear end to make this story come true; almost 350 pages so far and 122,700 words in counting….and it's still not complete yet XD If you want some kind of gratitude on how hard I'm working on this story, think of that (but I'm not gonna wallow in this; just saying)**

**If anyone has some questions about this, PLEASE REVIEW SO THAT I CAN ANSWER!**** I don't want reviews simply to feel happy that people are saying 'hey great story!' NO! If you have questions, please review to ask me. I want to try to help you all.**

**With that in place-Onward to the adventures of Briarlight's Cure!**

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**Prologue**:

Cold, angry drops descended to the ground, feeling more like hail than rain. The ground was soggy, the grass already beginning to show signs of dying off. That didn't seem to affect the cats gathered around each other, however. Their hisses and snarls pierced through the harsh raining, even if they were quickly lost in the wind that blew with an incredible force.

StarClan itself was angry, just as much as the warriors.

"You dare call me a coward?!" the elderly dark she-cat hissed, her ears flat against her broad head.

"Only as much as anyone else would dare to think, Yellowfang!" A tortoiseshell she-cat snarled back. "You could've—no you _should've!_—stopped the battle from ever happening. We thought you were a ShadowClan cat before, but now we only see a cat who does things only to her own satisfaction. I guess the death of my former apprentice was just enough for you!"

"You better snap that tongue back, Fernshade! There are things that even us StarClan cats can't accomplish in protecting. Russetfur's death was not necessary, yes, but there was nothing I could've done!" Yellowfang yowled harshly, getting right into Fernshade's nose. "And even though I was born and raised as a ShadowClan cat, my loyalty and love is for ThunderClan. You pieces of crowfood threw me out!"

"You broke the warrior code!" a lean white she-cat walked up next to the tortoiseshell. "You know that kitting as a medicine cat is against everything of the warrior code; and even afterwards you did things that broke it further!"

"Forgive me, Sagewhisker, but every cat breaks the code once in their lifetime." Yellowfang curtly snapped.

"They learn from their mistakes and make sure not to do it again!" Fernshade said.

"Fox-breath! I've heard and watched many other cats, including my son, break it countless times before their deaths! So don't you even dare to take it out all on me! I'm not the cause of breaking the code through any of this. We are all just as guilty."

That did it for the she-cat. With a leap, she was on Yellowfang, venom dripping in her words. "Are you trying to say ShadowClan is all about breaking the code?!"

"Enough!" Another voice yowled through the howling wind. Both cats pushed up and off of one another, looking in the direction of the voice.

"Bluestar! You stay out of this! This is personal business." Sagewhisker said sourly.

"It's all of our business, Sagewhisker. You and Fernshade both know that," Bluestar said, her soaked pelt bristling angrily. "You fight over so little, just like ShadowClan and ThunderClan fought over just a stupid piece of territory last moon. Have you no shame upon yourselves?"

"Don't give us that, because it won't work. StarClan is separating because of those fights and of the Dark Forest, Bluestar." Fernshade said.

"Yet you continue to fight?" a handsome reddish brown tom walked up next to Bluestar. She gave him an annoyed look, but a glint of happiness sparkled quickly through her eyes. "We should be helping the Clans, not fighting over the past. Like Yellowfang said, we all make mistakes."

"Oakheart, what else can we do? Only the Clans can save themselves."

"No, we can help. But simple prophecies and signs aren't getting their attention long enough for them to see the truth." A handsome light-brown tabby scoffed, his twisted jaw failing the attempt to frown more.

"It sounds like you're calling us bee-minded, Crookedstar. That we are stupid in this—"

"When did I ever say that? And here we are again, arguing about things we misjudge," Crookedstar shook his head. "I fear the safety of RiverClan. And not just from the other Clans and fights, but also their trust with one another."

"The same is for us all, brother," Oakheart placed his tail on Crookedstar's shoulder. "It seems all hopeless, but we have to stay strong. No matter what happens."

_"I agree." _

All six cats turned to see a black figure almost fully camouflaged in the storm darkness, with the exception of his white belly and dash of white on his chest, close to his neck. His lime-green eyes sliced through the night, holding a calm in them that was almost alien to the warrior cats with the current events going on.

"Who are you?" Yellowfang rasped.

"I mean you all no harm. Only here to warn you. I have a message for all of StarClan, mainly ThunderClan I guess." He said, coming a little closer.

"_You guess?_ Tom, you speak like you have knowledge, yet you say _'you guess'_? Are you a StarClan cat?" Fernshade growled, backing up two pawsteps. The tom noticed and halted in his own.

"You fear me because I appear a Dark Forest cat? Or you always this hostile?"

"During times like this, it is hard whom to trust." She said, shooting cold glares to the other cats except Sagewhisker.

The cat sat down, hardly affected by the storm's force and started licking his wet paw. "I see. I am sorry to hear such tension. Where I am from currently, we accept fate as it is and don't hold grudges for long." He glanced calmly over to the tortoiseshell and her friend. "You fight stupidly, far more so than two newborn kits over who's taking up too much room in the den. Sad, I do say."

Fernshade snarled louder, but Bluestar held up her tail for silence. Begrudgingly, she did so. "What do you call yourself, tom?" He looked at her skeptically, his eyes clearly questioning why his name was so important. She dipped her head a little. "It is proper to say so."

"Very well. I call myself Todd, considering it is what my No-Collars used to call me. I would admire you all if you called me so too."

"No-Collar? What in the name of StarClan is that?" Crookedstar pondered. However, Todd shook his head at his question.

"It is not important right now, sir. But I request that I can pass through with my mate to warn a cat. The danger is far too high to just set aside, and the cat needs to be prepared. But whomever my mate sends me to cannot do it simply by training here. The cat must leave the Clans and must break the code, in order to protect the ones they love—"

Before he could finish, Bluestar hissed at Todd. "Absolutely not! Why would we let you, a stranger, take away one cat that could affect the entire Clans if he or she is gone? Do you think of the prophesied cats, Dovepaw, Jayfeather, or Lionblaze could be the one? If so, you may as well leave StarClan, Todd." She said sternly, expecting the tom to hiss back, begging her to hear him out.

But Todd just shrugged, eyeing them all for brief seconds, taking in information that only he tried to see in their stances. They were all tense, giving him distrust glares. Finally, his own ears flattened to his head. "Hate me all you want, cats. Some of you may be great leaders, others loyal warriors, or even wise herbal cats. But know this; if I leave, then be certain that your Clans will fall to something just as worst as the Dark Forest cats. By then, _'sorry'_ will be pointless and begging low on all four will be futile. I'm trying to help you all. I was raised with sympathy and honor to others. Nothing more, nothing less." Todd proclaimed. A lightning bolt cracked through the air, followed by another deep rumble. It gave the black tomcat all the more of a powerful stance.

He growled lowly, mostly to himself, standing up just as a second lightning bolt shattered the dark rainy night, this time appearing much closer than the first. In the distance, the StarClan cats noticed a shadowy figure standing away from where they were, awaiting Todd's companionship. The handsome black tom started turning his back on the StarClan cats, when a ragged tail touched his shoulder. "Wait, Todd," Yellowfang said, her raspy voice filled with heavy remorse. " You're right."

"You side with a stranger—?!"

"I can side whomever I want to side with, Sagewhisker! I'm old enough to know that," The old cat snarled. The ShadowClan medicine cat glared off with Yellowfang, neither one backing down from the tension. Finally, Yellowfang turned back to Todd. "You've basically left us with very little choice. But we will watch you as you and your mate do so."

He bowed his head to her in respect, giving off an inaudible sigh of relief. "I understand fully of your concerns. And I thank you. I just hope that the cat will understand too, and react soon. They will need to train hard for a few months in order to be prepare to their best. This isn't something quick to do. It takes time. And time, from what I fear for you StarClan cats as well as for your Clans, is running out quickly."

"I can't help but asking, Todd," Crookedstar growled. "what is so dangerous about this new foe that you are suppose to speak of to whomever the ThunderClan cat is? Do they have anything to do with the Dark Forest cats?"

Todd shrugged. "It simply is not just one cat, leader of RiverClan. They grow with a vengeance that would make the Dark Forest far stronger than anyone could consider. With their help, the darkness would overwhelm and destroy the light and peace of these lands. StarClan and all the other Clans need to be prepared for this." He said in a grave tone.

"That can't be!" Sagewhisker gasped, disbelief in her eyes. "We're on the brink of all loss already!"

"I would listen to him, Sagewhisker." A young, mellow voice sighed under the growl of another rumble. The figure walked beside Todd, opposite of Yellowfang.

"Russetfur!" Fernshade breathed in shock. The sight of her former apprentice standing next to the strange tom was enough for them all to suspect his words were right. "You too?"

The tabby she-cat nodded numbly. "Yes, sadly it may seem so. But I sense it too. And it is not from the Dark Forest. Listen to him. He might just save ShadowClan from more deaths."

"For all of the Clans, ma'am." Todd said, placing his tail on her shoulder. Bowing to her momentarily, he walked away, veering from the crowd of StarClan warriors and towards the feminine cat figure.

"Wait," Bluestar yowled. Obediently, the tom did so, looking over his shoulder at them, the patient creature he was. "If what you say is true, and we do not listen to your advice, what do you suggest on us doing then?"

Todd's shoulder, though almost invisible in the dark night, became rigid and taunt with abrupt tension. He tilted his head up and back, almost appearing savoring the rain pelting him. A cloudy sigh escaped his lips. Finally, Todd opened his eyes again, casually glancing at the confused and feared cats behind him. With slit eyes, he said in a sudden gruff voice;

_"Start praying for a stronger savior."_

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**So here's the first chapter—well Prologue. So you've met the "mysterious and handsome tom" Todd. Good things will come out of this almost British-like cat ;) **

**Review if you have questions or simply want to state how the story looks so far~ **


	2. Chapter 1

**I should tell this before people get all kinds of confused later on in the story. For anybody who's wondering where this is taking place, it is taking place around the middle of "Night Whispers"! Hope that clarifies on some things.**

**Q—Maia Carr: **_It says under 3k words on the word count for the story?_

**A—I understand that it did for the Prologue. But now it should be well over 3k ;) I type a lot, don't worry.**

**Review afterwards please! I'll do my best to answer your questions~**

**I do not own the Warrior Series. The rightful owner is Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 1:**

Her tailtip twitched in anticipation as she watched the squirrel nibble on large acorns while scavenging the forest grounds. Her muscles relaxed and tensed every couple of heartbeats, keeping them from falling asleep or growing numb. It was a feeling she didn't like thinking about, especially now—when she was hunting.

The squirrel scurried closer to her patch of tall grass. She took in a quiet whiff of air, her mouth almost drowning in saliva as she smelt the delicious meat of the squirrel. Gathering her power, she forced her tail to still, so that her prey wouldn't hear and run off, leaving her empty-stomach. With a deep breath, she pounced from the grass.

Hearing her rustle from the grass, the squirrel, with its amazing speed, zipped from its nuts. The two—cat and squirrel—ran in sloppy circles, with the she-cat gaining the advantage. She placed all her strength into her hind legs to obtain better speed. With claws of one paw, she snagged the squirrel's tail in the right spot, swiftly pulling it back to her. Skidding to a halt, the she-cat bit down on the squirrel's neck, feeling the snap of the bone under her grasp.

_'Yes! I did it! Oh, how I wish the others could see this.'_ Briarlight chirped happily at the thought. Purring proudly, she lied down and began eating her prize kill, licking her jowls of the warm blood, savoring the meat trailing down her throat. She didn't take forever to finish up her meal. With a final lick, she started up on grooming herself clean of the furry mess.

A twig snapped, echoing eerily in the air. In mid-lick, Briarlight looked around warily, but didn't see anything suspicious around her. The birds above her head were chirping still, oblivious to her hunting down below. Despite their happy manor, Briarlight's ears picked up the noise of grass and bushes moving.

On all four now, she dropped into her fighting stance, her mouth curling back in order to take in the smells. She soon detected another cat very close by. "Show yourself, cat!" She exclaimed, her voice trailing off in the forest air. The rustling stopped abruptly, making everything deathly quiet. For a few long heartbeats, Briarlight thought she had scared whomever it was off.

However, the noise started again, growing louder than before, till a shadowy cat-figure stepped out, shaking leaves and twigs from its pelt. "Oof! Meadow forbid that I would find this place so easily!" The cat said in a slight breathy yet feminine tone. When she looked at the brown she-cat, her voice turned more curious. "I assume you are Briarlight?"

Briarlight's heart skipped a beat in fear. She stood upright, trying to give off no hints of her confusion. "H-How do you know me? Are you a StarClan cat?" She said in caution, squishing down the urge to back up a few steps. This didn't go unnoticed by the shadow cat. Striking blue eyes looked her over and shrugged.

"It is nice for any cat, tom or she, to say yes or no to a question that was asked to them first," She said politely. The she-cat shook it off quickly though. "But I'll answer your questions first, dear. I know you because I've been watching over specifically you for a while now. You've grown so much, love, and I'm proud of you. But I also am sorry for…never mind. I'm getting off track, silly me. Do forgive this old cat's choice of staying old. My mouth talks more than I should."

"Uh…it's okay?" Briarlight was thoroughly confused by this she-cat, but she had to admit, she was a little funny; sort of like Purdy when he babbles about his stories. "What is your name, she-cat?"

"My name isn't important right now dear. I wish I could tell you, but we're running out of time," The she-cat paused, walking up closer. Briarlight gasped as the silvery tabby cat seemingly glowed in the moonlight. Her blue eyes shone with wisdom and age. "I must give you a message before I depart, Briarlight." Even as she said that, however, her voice was already starting to fade off.

"Wait! Come back! Please stay." Briarlight yowled pleadingly. Her world started growing dark too, as she started to sink deeper into it. The last thing she recalled was the she-cat's voice echoing in the darkness.

_"The broken briar shall rise from the lake, only to ready itself for the war far dangerous than any cat shall know of that comes, with the guidance of believed monsters and its pure light." _

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Briarlight gasped loudly, eyes snapping open and wildly looking about. She realized that she was back in the medicine den. A plop of rain fell onto her nose, making her sneeze in a cute manner. She closed her eyes as a bright wave of sunlight angled its way into the warm den. The drying moss and leaves underneath her body crinkled as she moved into a sprawled out position, sighing when her muscles relaxed in an almost blissful fashion.

With a tired yawn, she went to stand and stretch her whole body, but didn't feel anything from the middle of her back down. Looking behind her, she grimaced at the sight of her lifeless limbs.

"It was all a dream…" She mumbled, setting her nose in her paws. "All a dream…" _'If so, what—no, _who_—was that she-cat? Was that a prophecy she gave me…'_

_The broken briar shall rise from the lake, only to ready itself for the war far dangerous than any cat shall know of that comes, with the guidance of believed monsters and its pure light._

_ 'What could that mean?'_ Briarlight wondered.

A hiss, followed by a cold mumble of _'fox-breath'_ grabbed her attention quickly. She turned her head to see Jayfeather standing up stiffly, rolling his shoulders and attempting to relieve his pain. "Jayfeather, you okay?" She called out, crawling over to him. When she went to lick his ear carefully, he flinched away, like she had raked him with her claws instead.

"I'm fine. I just slept wrong, that's all." He growled. But even as he said that and turned away, he stopped when another wave of pain went through his body.

Shaking her head, she crawled closer to him, balancing on one paw and lifting her other one onto his shoulder. "Just hang on there, Jayfeather. Let me get some of the kinks out before—"

"I said I'm fine, Briarlight," She could hear Jayfeather holding back his annoyance as he pushed away from her. "I want you to go and check up on Sorreltail's wounds before doing your morning exercises going, okay? Don't push yourself, though, Briarlight. Let Sorreltail get you a mole or something afterwards." He instructed rather sternly. The gray tabby got up and briskly walked out of the den, leaving behind a dumbfounded Briarlight.

Briarlight hated how he still thought she was not capable of doing things on her own and that she still needs help even with the smallest things. Despite this, she couldn't be angry at him forever. Something inside his eyes always made her feel sympathy and caring for all of his hard work.

He was the medicine cat after all. But something else inside her said otherwise.

She did her morning grooming, pulling out a few ticks here and there, before dragging herself outside. The brown she-cat squinted as the bright morning sunlight became seemingly brighter once she left the den, blinding her for a few seconds. Leafbare was starting to settle in, beginning with a few sprinkles of snowflakes falling from the sky.

Once her eyes adjusted to lighting, Briarlight went over to Sorreltail, who was trying to soak up the warm rays of sun over the occasional cold breezes in the late morning, kneading the ground as she relaxed more.

"Beautiful, cold morning today, huh Sorreltail?" Briarlight chirped happily at the tortoiseshell. Sorreltail looked up and smiled amusingly.

"Sure is. I'm guessing you're here to check on my wounds, Briarlight?" She inquired.

Briarlight nodded eagerly. "Yep! It's something Jayfeather wanted me to do. He's out busy doing medicine cat stuff," The brown she-cat explained, placing one paw on the senior warrior's shoulder and pressing, seeing where it was stiff. "Plus, I need to keep myself entertained somehow." She added in, giggling a little.

Sorreltail chuckled. "I'm sure you need to."

The she-cat seemed in great condition on the trail of recovery. "I don't feel anything wrong or sore, and I'm positive that in the next few days, you'll be ready for more battling!" Briarlight said enthusiastically. But she stopped when she saw Sorreltail's expression of shame. "W-What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere? Did I miss it? Are you feeling ill?"

Sorreltail raised her tail for Briarlight to settle down. She gave the younger she-cat a sad smile. "Nothing is wrong with me, dear. But…" She paused, glancing over her shoulder. Briarlight looked in the same direction, noticing ThunderClan's proud leader, Firestar, was looking awfully older than she realized before.

"You're thinking about the fight, aren't you?" Briarlight guessed out loud.

The pretty tortoiseshell sighed, her shoulders sagging down. "Yeah. I honestly look back and question why we even fought for a mouse-brain piece of grass territory. Now, Firestar has lost another life. Even worse, Russetfur died."

"But she's a ShadowClan cat."

Sorreltail suddenly glared at her. "It does not matter whether she's an rival clan cat. StarClan, she could've been a rabbit for all I care about! No cat should be killed like that. And I know Lionblaze didn't mean to kill her. He feels just as guilty as we all that fought that day."

Understanding now, Briarlight only nodded and started crawling back towards the medicine den. Two mewls caused her to stop and remember her exercising rituals. That, plus the little hairballs that jumped onto her back and clawed their way up to her shoulders. Not that she could feel them part of the time. She chuckled a meow.

"Hello, Cherrykit, Molekit. Ready for more balancing?"

"Yep!" They said happily. Briarlight's day got brighter as she and the only kits in the nursery played, instructing her to crawl while they were standing proudly on her shoulders. Whenever Briarlight glanced over to the nursery, she saw Poppyfrost idly watching the three of them playing around. Before, she would've felt hot with embarrassment and tried to stop, seeing as she looked like an apprentice more than a warrior.

Once doing her daily balancing and push-ups with the kits, Briarlight watched Cherrykit and Molekit jump down from her, careful as to not trip. She was proud at how much they had grown, almost ready for apprenticeship soon. _'Probably in newleaf they'll get their -paw names.'_ Briarlight thought with a proud smile.

"Hey Briarlight! Come over here please," Molekit meowed loudly. Obediently, the brown she-cat did so, dragging herself over to a large, broken off tree limb. The log was definitely taller than Briarlight had thought from a distance, more than likely broke off from a fallen tree during the thunderstorm a few moons back. "We're going to place a different game now. This one is climbing up the tree limb as quick as you can!"

"Yeah! I came up with the idea!" Cherrykit puffed out her chest proudly.

Molekit swat at his sister. "No I did! I thought of the game!"

"Did not!" Cherrykit growled.

"You guys! I think it's a brilliant idea from _both _of you," Briarlight intervened the argument quickly. "You guys go up first and I'll follow last."

"Okay!" Like the excited they were, Cherrykit and Molekit zipped up the log with ease, reaching the top and digging their claws into the bark.

"Whoa! You can see the entire camp from here, Briarlight! It seems bigger…" Cherrykit said in awe.

"Come on up, Briarlight!" Her brother insisted.

Instinctively, Briarlight looked back over to the nursery, seeing Poppyfrost and Ferncloud eyeing them with a little concern. But they nodded for her to keep going, indicating that they trusted her with the kits; alone.

Taking in a few hesitant breaths, Briarlight unsheathed her claws and latched onto the bark, her muscles flexing and tensing up as she began pulling herself up. It was much harder than once might assume, considering she could only climb with just her forelegs and not including her lifeless hind legs. Luckily, Cherrykit and Molekit had been there to give her words of encouragement.

Many grunts, a few slip-ups, and one restart later, Briarlight finally made it to the top. Her shoulders were screaming for her to rest, the burning sensation almost too much for her to handle. She turned around, smiling at the kits' happy cheering, and threw her paws tiredly down over the log.

"That…was definitely…a good workout…" She said through her breathless panting.

"Great job, Briarlight!" Molekit chirped. "Do it again! Again please!"

"Yeah! Climb again, Briarlight." Cherrykit meowed innocently, giving the brown she-cat those big amber kit eyes. With a breathless laugh, the crippled cat did climb a second time.

After she had climbed up and down a third time—with the pleading yowls of the kits—Briarlight's shoulders and forepaws started feeling unbelievably sore and numb for the day. She told Cherrykit and Molekit that they would play another time, but now she had to rest up and grab something to eat.

Stiffly, she crawled over to the fresh-kill pile and snatched up a plump vole, her favorite. She took note of how little was left in the fresh-kill; another sign of leafbare growing closer every day. Briarlight ate her vole slowly, savoring the meat that traveled down her mouth and into her stomach with every delicate bite. Before, she insisted on getting food for herself, yet the others didn't think she could do such thing, not while being crippled. Licking her jowls one last time, Briarlight began grooming herself, a habit she never lost, even as a kit.

She cleaned her pelt thoroughly, thinking back to the mysterious silver she-cat. She looked as if she groomed constantly to make her pelt shine and glow so beautifully. It made Briarlight envy her. _'Then again, many she-cats would kill to have such a exquisite pelt,_' She thought with a goofy smile. Questions about her and the prophecy that she told Briarlight floated through her mind. _'Why me? I don't understand it in the first place. I hope I get to see her again…she was awfully nice, even if we talked only for a few seconds. Then again…'_ She looked at herself in a semi-frozen mud puddle.

'_Why did StarClan bestow me with losing my back legs? I could've been the best warrior in the Clan!' _She huffed, noting that if she could, her tail would be lashing angrily back and forth. Briarlight gazed high into the growing colder sky. _'Longtail…I wish you were here still. You didn't have to die…I know you were only trying to be a good tomcat. We all miss you.'_ She prayed to StarClan that her message was received.

Dipping her head onto her paws, she stared idly around, watching other cats do their things. Her parents, Graystripe and Millie, were grooming each other while chatting up with Foxleap and Dustpelt on a subject she couldn't hear. Cherrykit and Molekit were sticking close to the nursery, yet played in the small pile of leaves that gathered in front of their den. Berrynose was bringing Poppyfrost a mole for her to eat while he watched over their two kits. Briarlight couldn't help but noticed how they or her parents looked at one another.

Love. Love was filled in their eyes for their mates.

_'Mate…that's another thing I don't know about. Will I—'_ Her thoughts were cut off when she started coughing a little. _'Better go and crawl around the camp. Maybe that'll help, despite my new yet tiring exercise.'_

She abandoned her time of observation and crawled her way slowly around the camp. She greeted cats as she went, usually with an enthusiastic nod and smile. Briarlight stopped at the elder's den and saw Mousefur talking with Purdy; mostly Purdy doing the chatting. "Hey Mousefur!" She meowed, getting both elders' attention.

"Oh! Hello Briarlight…" Mousefur said hesitantly. Briarlight knew the former warrior she-cat was staring pitifully at her legs, replaying what happened during the thunderstorm.

"I'm fine, Mousefur. No worries! I can crawl much faster now, see?" The brown she-cat demonstrated by pulling her limp body around in long but quick circles. When she finished, she was panting a little, but a smile was on her face nonetheless.

Purdy let a chuckle of meow escape his lips. "You have indeed gotten faster, Briarlight. Good job. You remind me of when I was a younger tom, on my own…"

_ 'Uh oh, here he goes again.'_ Briarlight groaned mentally upon Purdy's unfolding past story. Trapped, she placed her head on her paws and listened.

She didn't know how long he had been talking, but as he ended his story, Briarlight suddenly realized that it was a little past sunhigh. She had been listening to Purdy's babbling storytelling throughout the remaining morning.

"Briarlight! What are you doing over there?"

The noise of Jayfeather's voice sent relief through her pelt. _'Thank you, StarClan! My savior!'_ She turned completely around to see the gray tabby glaring at her blindly, confused as to why she wasn't in the medicine den. He had dropped a large mass of catmint and yarrow in front of his paws to speak at her.

Giving him an unnecessary guilty smile, she crawled over to him. "Sorry, Jayfeather. Purdy was telling such a magnificent story I just had to stay and listen," She faked the kindness in her voice. Almost right on, Jayfeather's expression changed to that of slight amusement and annoyance. She glanced back at the elder tom and purred. "Thank you so much for the story, Purdy!" she said before quickly following Jayfeather back to their nests.

"How are your legs?" Jayfeather asked bluntly.

_'Well that's a mouse-brain question! I'm crippled!'_ Her mind screamed. But instead, Briarlight shrugged. "Hanging in there still." She said casually.

"Sorreltail?"

For a second she was confused, but then she remembered. "She's well. Her wounds are healing up great and she's not so stiff anymore. That's good, right?" Briarlight, though spending probably the rest of her life in the medicine den, was still getting used to things around here.

"Yeah. Good job." Jayfeather said, not bringing his blind gaze down to meet hers. Briarlight felt a swell of pride rush through her chest when he approved her well on her work, even if it didn't show in his features. They entered the medicine den, the smell of herbs and moss filling her nostrils.

Ducking her head down in embarrassment as she relaxed in her nest, Briarlight whispered, "Thanks."

However, her admiration was short lived when she started coughing abruptly. Jayfeather walked over and analyzed her, rubbing his paw on her back to soothe the clogging of her coughs. Briarlight looked at him, ashamed at her weakness to illness just as Millie came bounding in. _'And here I thought the exercises were clearing them!'_ Briarlight thought angrily.

"I heard her coughing! Jayfeather, why aren't you doing anything for her?!" She hissed at him accusingly.

"There's not much I can do, Millie! Only time will tell us. Briarlight is strong, and she needs to keep exercising in order to stay strong," He said back, ears flat against his head as he moved past the she-cats. "Let me go and get some coltsfoot for you and see how things go from there."

Briarlight watched the medicine tom to the shelving of the large den, sniffing here and there for the too familiar scent of coltsfoot. _'At least it'll give me some support. Too bad it's wearing off a little quicker than I want it to.'_ She thought sadly.

_"That won't help you a whole lot, Briarlight dear."_ A soothing purr echoed the air.

Briarlight's head snapped up in the middle of a cough, looking in the back where Jayfeather was. Her heart skipped a beat—uncertain if it was in shock or amazement—seeing the mysterious silver-gray tabby she-cat from her dreams, sitting not too far from where she was laying. Briarlight wanted to speak out, mewl to Jayfeather that there was a ghost cat in the den, but both him and Millie would think she officially had bees in her brain.

The tabby, dipped her head down, pushing a large root of some kind forward with a smile. "This ginger will do you so much better, Briarlight. It'll clear your lungs far better and get rid of those pesky coughs for a long while." She said quietly, as if she was skeptical of Jayfeather or Millie hearing her. Before Briarlight could ask, she disappeared.

"Um…Jayfeather?" She went to say just when he dropped a leaf-full of coltsfoot in front of her paws.

"Eat this, it'll do you good for now." He said.

"That's all you're going to give her? She needs more than just some coltsfoot, Jayfeather!" Millie growled.

"Like what? I've got nothing else that's as good as this—"

"Hey! You guys!" Briarlight yowled, grabbing the two arguing cats' attention. She pointed over with a paw to the root. "What about that?"

Jayfeather sniffed the air and walked over to the root till it bumped into his paw. Dipping his head down, he sniffed it thoroughly, recoiling in confusion. "I've never seen a plant root like this. What is it?"

"I think it is called ginger, Jayfeather. I'm sure it's got to be stronger than coltsfoot." She insisted, trying to slide past the fact that a ghost cat had somehow brought that into the medicine without anyone noticing at all.

"Whoa, who made you the medicine cat? And how do you even know about this ginger thing, Briarlight?" Jayfeather asked, glaring at her with his sightless blue eyes.

Realizing she was caught, she gulped, blurting out whatever came to her mind. "Um… I remember seeing it in a dream, and…uh…it's really good for me. It tasted wonderful. I was going to tell you before, but you left so quickly that I didn't have time. Maybe we should bury and care for the remaining ginger nearby the lake. It'll grow under the growing snow and sprout in newleaf. Well, that's where I saw it in my dream…" She trailed off, giving a nervous laugh under her breath.

Her mother and Jayfeather looked at each other then at her, doubtfulness etched in their faces. She sighed in frustration. "Oh, come on! It won't hurt me! I'm sure of it." As she said that, Briarlight could've sworn she heard a chuckle in the air.

At last, Jayfeather finally sighed in defeat. "Alright. Chew it up thoroughly before you swallow first, Briarlight." He sat there, his eyes fully on her—probably his attention too—as she dipped down and ate through half of the ginger, leaving the rest for planting. Millie shifted on her paws as she saw her kit chew it till it was nothing but slop in her mouth.

The taste was rather sweet, yet had a sharp bitter taste to it after she swallowed. The she-cat shuddered in semi-disgust, but put on a proud smile. "See? No trouble at all." She said with a little burp, quickly feeling embarrass.

"Let her rest now, Jayfeather. She's probably exhausted from all that unnecessary exercising." Millie urged to Briarlight, who simply rolled her eyes and moved away from her overly concerned mother.

"I'm fine, Mother. In fact, I probably could go hunting!"

"Yeah, and cause all whole bee swarm of chaos out there," Jayfeather allowed himself to chuckle a little. He stopped when his brother, Lionblaze, walked in. His golden tabby pelt heaved as he breathed heavily. "Lionblaze? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But…can we talk? It's something…important."

Jayfeather got the look of understanding on his face when Lionblaze mentioned that one word. He quickly turned his attention to the she-cats. "Briarlight will be fine, Millie. And I hear Firestar calling you for a border patrol. Stay here and regenerate your energy for now, Briarlight. I'll be back in a little while." He didn't give them a chance to object his words as he followed Lionblaze out of the medicine den, taking the remaining ginger with him to bury at the side of the lake.

Millie sighed, giving her daughter a final lick behind the ears. "I'll be back later, Briarlight. Sleep well." With that she, too, left the den, now leaving the brown she-cat all alone.

Briarlight groaned, suddenly feeling bored again. An amused purr sounded the air, startling her again. She looked over to the little pool inside the den to see the mysterious she-cat. "Why do you do that? It's like you're stalking me, and I'm the prey!" She hissed quietly. She didn't want to grab the attention of any cat outside.

Her guest shook her head and walked closer to Briarlight. She placed her tail on the brown she-cat's head. "Have no worries for now, dear. I'd recommend you get up and follow me quickly, or else the other cats might find out."

"Hold on, where are you taking me?" Briarlight mewled.

"Outside of ThunderClan camp." The she-cat stated bluntly.

"Wait, you want me to leave the camp?! But why? Where would you take me?" Briarlight asked. When the she-cat held up her tail for Briarlight to quiet down, she reluctantly obeyed.

"If you want to know more about what I told you before, leaving the den is the only way. You stay here and try talking to me, and cats that come in unexpectedly will think you've completely lost your head. It's not far; just a little ways into the thorn bushes." She turned back around and walked farther into the den, rather than exiting from the entrance.

_'What should I do? If I'm not back in time, Jayfeather will get upset and Ma will worry about me till she dies of a heart attack!'_ Briarlight fought inwardly. A part of her wanted to go and escape the confinement of the den and of camp, to see the wild side of ThunderClan territory again. Snow was falling faster as the day waned on, but even then, it felt like it would be worth the sneak out. Then again, she didn't want to make anyone scared of her disappearance.

With a sigh of defeat, Briarlight crawled after the vividly transparent cat, seeing as she came to a stop in front of what looked like a small hole, far too small for either one to slither under. But she was proven wrong when the cat pulled away the shrubbery, revealing the hole going down a little lower; giving just enough space for even a cat like herself to crawl under.

"Come." The silver tabby said, going first through the hole.

Briarlight looked over her shoulders, glad that she didn't see any cat walk in. _'Yet.'_ Holding her breath, she dropped her forepaws into the small ditch, grunting as her back legs fell behind her. Though the hole wasn't entirely small, it still gave Briarlight a hard time crawling through, with her being crippled and all.

By the time she pulled herself up and out of the cramped area—after she had slipped a few times—dirt was matted on her once neatly groomed fur and she was panting a little harder than normal. However, the brown she-cat didn't complain, not wanting to look weak under the beautiful stare of her guidance.

Without speaking a word, the silver tabby led Briarlight through the bushes. Briarlight was worry that her rustling in the bushes would alert the Clan of her loud noise making.

"Do not worry about them, darling. They don't know that it's you. They would only think of it as a weasel or something smaller." The she-cat reassured Briarlight.

Wanting to keep the conversation going, Briarlight clear her throat a little. "Um…so what's your name? You never told me it in my dream last night."

The silver tabby was silent for a heartbeat, but it felt like eternity to Briarlight when she spoke again. "My name is Billie."

It took Briarlight by immense surprise to hear such a simple name from a uniquely mysterious she-cat such as her. " 'Billie'? But that sounds like a kittypet name!" She gasped. She immediately regretted saying that last part. The tabby turned around, her once heartfelt and warm blue eyes now a cold glare, like icicles piercing through her skin.

"And what of it? What will you think of me now? A stupid and lazy cat that knows nothing of the wild side of her old ancestors?" She countered back harshly, her odd ears flattened against her head.

"N-No! That's not what I would think!" Briarlight tried to convince Billie. Yet she admitted to herself, she had thought that idea for a split heartbeat. "But what is a kittypet cat like you doing here in the real world, full of danger and wildlife?"

"Because I've chosen to. Just because I'm not from around here, and I'm most certainly not a _full-blood warrior_," She placed cold emphasis on those words, making Briarlight flinch. "doesn't mean I'm stupid. You wild cats think we are out of our minds to have a No-Collar, or _Twoleg_, around to take care of us; but if you were all in the places of a very abused cat out in the streets, starving and begging for death, you would understand then. Maybe."

Briarlight recoiled back, feeling completely ashamed now of misjudging Billie upon hearing her name. "I'm…I'm sorry. You're probably going to leave me here so I can get lost, huh?"

She looked up into those piercing blue eyes, so similar to Jayfeather's blind sky-blue ones. But Billie just sighed, shaking her head. "Not a chance, Briarlight. And I accept your apology, sweetheart. Let's continue our talk while we walk. Ask me anything and I'll try answering it." Billie said with an amused chuckle.

When Briarlight was crawling next to her finally, she hesitated at first. "Um…can you tell me how, or what, happened to your ears? Did they not grow right as a kitten?" It was an odd question, but a question that Billie answered to keep the conversation flowing.

"No. As a kit, I had wonderful hearing. Growing up, it stayed that way. Just an infection that eventually deformed my ears, but didn't take my hearing from me completely. I only had hard times hearing when I was a little older. Oh, how my No-Collars tried their very hardest to fix my ears, placing that putrid ointment in them. It relieved the swelling, but never the true affect." Billie explained with a sad smile. Briarlight at first thought it was of her deformity that Billie was sad about. But her gut told her otherwise.

"Why do you call Twolegs this 'No-Collar' name?"

"Because most kittypets—or Collared cats, as we call ourselves—have some kind of collar around their necks, kind of symbolizing who and where their No-Collars are. But many others and I call them simply No-Collars because they almost never place anything around their necks."

"Why did you live with a Twoleg?" Briarlight didn't miss the confusion that slowly etched onto Billie's face. She kept quiet until they broke free of the bushes and fell into a small clearing inside of the bushes. Sunlight pierced through the small openings of the shrubbery, warming Briarlight's pelt up. Memories of when she was an apprentice with Thornclaw, her former mentor, floating through her mind. Sad memories of the good past

Billie disappeared for a second in the light, only appearing again as she laid down. With the tip of her tail, she gestured Briarlight to lie next to her and rest. After she did, Billie answered the question. "I never was a wild cat before, Briarlight. I've lived with No-Collars all my life."  
That left Briarlight astonished. "You have?"

"Yep. And I never regret in my later years staying. As a young cat, around your age, my original No-Collars, a happy couple, had a kit. But, with the birth of their new kit, they feared I was going to hurt the baby even in the smallest ways. And…something did happen after all," She paused, holding up one paw. Briarlight could see the silver she-cat trying to flex out her claws, but nothing appeared. "That is how I lost both my back and front claws."

"That's awful!" The brown she-cat gasped in horror. _'Why would Twolegs do such thing?! Cats need their claws to protect themselves!' Her mind screamed. 'Twolegs are so heartless, no matter what mother tells me.'_

"Not all No-Collars are bad, dear," Billie spoke almost as if she knew what Briarlight was thinking. Seeing the shock on the brown she-cat's face made Billie smile wider. "Some are just too confused to think right. That's sort of normal for any living thing. Before I died I was with two loving No-Collars for ten seasons. Or at least a hundred and twenty moons for you wild cats. I died right around my nineteenth season of life; about two hundred and twenty eight moons old."

"Wow, you're older than Mousefur! And she's really old!" Briarlight giggled the last part. "I'm curious. Do you live in StarClan, or are you just a ghost that roams around?"

Billie sighed softly. "Since I was never born or raised in the wild, Briarlight, I do not live in StarClan. Neither does my sisters, my brothers, my mates, or any other cat that is dead like me. We live in a place we call Rainbow Meadow. Think of it as a StarClan, only for the strays and kittypets."

Remembering the words Billie said to her before, Briarlight asked, "What were you talking about before? That…prophecy you told me?"

"So you do remember it. I was afraid you would think it was nothing and forget about it," Billie gave a sarcastic laugh, suddenly sitting up and licking a paw. "If I told you what it means, you'd never believe a solid word of it. You'd think I'm crazy, just like the StarClan cats thought of me when I explained it to them." Her head was down in a low bow. "Why do cats honestly think that we've lost our minds once we—the outcasts—step foot into their territories?"

Briarlight's mind was buzzing like bees in their nest with questions, not one being answered yet. "Please…tell me," She insisted, wishing that she could reach up and touch her tail on Billie's shoulder for comfort. "I trust you. Crazy like flying hedgehogs it may be, but I trust you and your words, Billie."

Blue eyes met amber, debating if she could believe Briarlight's honor and loyalty. Heaving a long sigh, Billie's posture turned rigid and serious.

"You must leave ThunderClan and the lake, Briarlight."

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**Cliffhangers~ XD Try to keep up ;) **

**Review please for any questions you have for this chapter! They'll be posted on the next chapters! Until next time~**


	3. Chapter 2

**Not much to say on this chapter, except that new things pop up. Not gonna say anything else until you read B)**

**I do not own the Warrior series. Ownership and original characters/ideas of the books belong to Erin Hunter.**

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**_Previously: _  
**

_"You must leave ThunderClan and the lake, Briarlight."_

**Chapter 2**

Briarlight suddenly forgot how to breathe. Such a simple sentence made her double take, questioning if she heard things right. When she found her voice again, she managed to squeak out, "L-Leave ThunderClan? Wh-Why?"

"Because it is part of your prophecy, Briarlight."

"How in the name of StarClan would I be able to leave? I'm crippled! And where would I go? It's rather pointless to just walk out of ThunderClan without knowing my designated location, right?" Briarlight forced herself to keep her voice down, no matter how much she wanted to yowl angrily at Billie. Keeping their secret meeting, well, secret, was important in order to obtain more information.

The silver tabby looked halfway between amused and a little annoyed. "I understand you are crippled, Briarlight. I'm not stupid, not even when I was alive. Your answer will come soon enough, though I can't say when or what it'll be," She explained softly. Briarlight gave a low growl of frustration at this. Billie, with a smile, leaned down and licked the brown she-cat's cheek. "I know you're very confused right now, sweetheart. But, in due time, your answers will come to you, and you to them."

"You say it like you've experienced this before. Experienced pain, grief of a dead clanmate, or even the outcast feeling of being a crippled cat. The feeling of not being able to help with warrior duties. But you don't," Briarlight hissed, pulling away from Billie's licking. "I'm not leaving ThunderClan or my loyalty to them just to go somewhere that I'll probably end up dying at."

Briarlight started dragging away when Billie made her breathless a second time;

"What if I told you that where you will be going can give you the one thing you want back in your life since your accident?"

Her whole body felt stiff like an oak tree, unable to move a single step further. But her mouth managed to work. "That's impossible! Jayfeather told me I'm no longer able to walk." She huffed down at the ground. _'So much for thinking positive for the rest of my life.'_ Briarlight scolded to herself.

"To the cats, you are crippled forever, yes. But not where you should be going."

"But even if I do leave to…wherever this place is, how will I know that when I come back, the Clans—my Clan—and my Clanmates will forgive me? Will they still consider me as a warrior and a loyal one to ThunderClan?"

"You speak wise wording, and it's manageable, Briarlight. But let me ask you this," Billie appeared in front of Briarlight, halting her in her chance to escape. "Do you think staying here—and threatening the lives of your friends, your family, and your leader, with the danger of darkness that is unfolding quicker than your ancestors and mine can stop—is better off than at least _trying_? From what I recall, trying has gotten this Clan around for many seasons, both in the past and present." Billie said in a cold voice, each word piercing deeper and deeper into Briarlight's mind. She tried to argue back; but when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out.

Everything Billie was telling her outmatched her opinions. She was right.

"The choice is all up to you, Briarlight. My words of wisdom and care, hopefully, will guide you in the right path. But I'll never be able to force you completely to make your own decisions. Not now, not ever. No cat, not even StarClan cats, can change that," Billie's shoulders sagged forward in unexpected exhaustion, her deformed ears flattening to the sides of her head. "ThunderClan will start worrying. You know the way back. I must leave too; my mate will be worried of my disappearance."  
She went to turn away, but Briarlight placed a paw on her shoulder urgently. "Wait! Can't you give me another sign? Something to make things clear again?"

"Even if I could, I will not. Signs come from your soul and believing in what you are destined to be. I know you can believe, Briarlight, but can you believe strong enough for your Clan?" Without waiting for an answer, Billie vaporized into the crispy air.

Briarlight felt cold being all by herself, the fading sunlight suddenly not warm enough. Reluctantly, she slowly pulled her half-limp body back to the medicine den. As she crawled, her mind was filled with the serious words that Billie spoke to her. '_But how am I suppose to leave? What if leaving will cause more pain than help for the Clan?'_ She thought, growing more puzzled with every what-ifs that came to mind.

She crawled back through the dipped hole into the den, seeing that no one was there. However, just as she started to rest her sore shoulders from the long crawl, Jayfeather's head popped in.

"How're you doing, Briarlight? No coughing or anything?" He spoke. Briarlight almost missed the stressfulness in his voice, and how grave it seemed. She looked up at him and nodded, placing on a fake smile.

"I'm doing just fine, Jayfeather. I think that ginger is working great. Nothing wrong!" She giggled half-heartedly. She looked at the gray tabby, seeing his face scrunched up in confusion. "Is something wrong with anything, Jayfeather?"

That seemed to snap him out of his trance. He quickly shook his head. "Nothing. I'm alright. Let's get some more rest for the night."

Briarlight knew Jayfeather was holding something back, but she decided that if he didn't want to speak it to her, then it was none of her business until he did so. She saw that his fur was matted up in some areas, twigs sticking out here and there. She watched as Jayfeather practically collapsed into his bedding, letting off a frustrated sigh.

_'Whatever Lionblaze had discussed with him, it must've sent him through more stress than he normally goes through.'_ Briarlight thought sympathetically. With a soft grunt, she pushed herself over to his side, lying behind him. She felt him wince away from her sharply, obviously confused at her actions.

"I'm cold Jayfeather. Just… this one time. Please…" She insisted with a tired yawn. After a long moment, he finally sagged back against her, dropping his head sideways to the ground.

"Fine." He snorted, just as tired.

Briarlight gave him a short lick on the ear before doing the same. "May StarClan walk in your dreams, Jayfeather." She sighed, drifting off into welcoming darkness.

The next morning she woke up, her shoulders—just as she predicted—were very stiff from her new workout from the previous afternoon. Groaning quietly, she shifted closer to the warmth that coated her upper body. She sighed happily into the furry obstacle under her nose.

_'Furry? Wait…I know this scent…'_ Her mind struggled to register through the fog of drowsiness, trying to figure out what it was for a few heartbeats. Reluctantly, Briarlight opened her well-rested eyes. Almost instantly, her whole face grew hot at her discovery.

Somewhere through the night, Briarlight had moved far closer to Jayfeather without him knowing. Apparently, it had caused the tom to sprawl out more, his forelegs crossed at the paws only after being lengthen out to their limit; the same went for his hindquarters. For her, Briarlight's head was on his neck, snuggled comfortably into unusually warm and soft fur.

With a sigh, Jayfeather craned his head into more of an arch, appearing to dive deeper into unconsciousness. Briarlight couldn't but help but stare at the content on his face. _'I've never seen him sleep so limply. He's always grumbling in his sleep...' _She thought with a smile.

Hoping not to wake him up, the young she-cat shuffled away, almost missing the warmth they shared. _'Stop! He's a medicine cat! It's so against the code.' _She yelled mentally to herself. Briarlight glanced outside and nearly squealed in joy.

Throughout the night, early leaf-bare officially started with a large snowfall. Snow piled a few mouse-heights deep, so white that it would surely blind her when the sun rose later in the day. Currently, the skies were a dull blue, mixed in with pretty pink and orange colors of the late morning.

As quietly as she could, Briarlight crawled into the snow-covered ground. She giggled when it made soft crunching noises. An idea popped in her head when she felt it being a little more difficult to crawl. Taking in a deep breath of the cold, crispy air made her lungs sing with clearness. _'My breathing does seem a lot clearer. I guess I have Billie to thank for that.' _She noted that thought for later. Happily, the brown she-cat crawled slowly around the camp for her early morning exercise. There were parts of the camp that had more snow than some, making it a little more difficult for her. But she had managed, especially with the fun she was having.

After her ritual and a quick nap to rest up, Cherrykit and Molekit awakened Briarlight again later in the morning. ThunderClan cats kept themselves busy for the day by clearing away the snow into ditches and large piles, but not big enough to get hurt on if a kit or apprentice falls from them. Firestar assigned three hunting patrols that day, knowing that they still needed to stash up on as much fresh-kill as possible, and two boarding patrols to re-freshen their markings. If a severe blizzard came in, they needed to be prepared.

Briarlight, in the midst of her exercising, heard a gruff clear of someone's throat, grabbing her attention. She turned to see none other than Jayfeather sitting a few foxlengths away from her and the kits. In a optimistic voice, she yowled out, "Hey Jayfeather! The kits and me invented a new game to play. It's helping with my breathing and making me stronger too!"

"Huh…well, finish off whatever you're doing and come help me. I need to go and stock up on more herbs today and I need you to stay back and sort everything out. Brightheart is helping too." He explained, walking closer to the large log.

"Okay! Hang on a sec." Briarlight watched the kits hop down easily from the log, but for her it was still hard, so it took her a little longer. Once she was down on the snowy ground, she made sure the kits got back to the nursery safely before following Jayfeather back into the warm medicine den.

"You know what to do, right?" He asked idly.

"Yep! Um…did you sleep okay last night?" She was unsure on why she asked that, since she saw that he did sleep well.

"Yeah. You weren't too cold afterwards were you? Any coughing last night?" He seemed to be worried about her condition too. Briarlight nodded shyly, giving him a smile.

"Nothing was wrong. It felt…nice to sleep like that. Thank you," She said gratefully. When the silence became a little too much, she cleared her throat. "So, where will you go to get the herbs?"

He scoffed annoyingly. "By the abandoned Twoleg house, of course. Make sure to get all of the herbs sorted correctly by the time I get back, okay?"

"Sure." Was all she got out before he left swiftly to do his job. _'Geesh, he may be irritated all the time, but he sure does not hold back on giving orders and leaving,'_ Briarlight thought with a sigh. _'If he isn't back before the sun starts setting, I'll ask Firestar to find him.'_

As she carefully sorted out the herbal medicines, Briarlight began to have the feeling of being watched again. She turned her head to see nobody there. _'Huh…I wonder if this is Billie playing with me…'_

_"It is not my sister, kit."_ An icy cold voice was her response. Briarlight felt as if cold claws raked down her upper body, making her shudder involuntarily. When she turned around again, the brown she-cat had to hold down a scream upon seeing a tortoiseshell mere pawsteps from her face. But what got to her was the green glare of her eyes. Taking a few steps away from her herbs and the she-cat, Briarlight tried focusing on calming down her breathing.

"Um…are you one of Billie's friends?" She whispered nervously, not totally if this cat was a good or bad one.

Unfortunately, she just scoffed disgustingly. "Yeah sure, call me that if ya want to. I really didn't care for that hag when were alive and I most certainly don't still, now that we're dead."

"Oh…okay. Um…what is your name?"

The tortoiseshell clearly appeared annoyed with all of the questions that Briarlight kept asking, so opposite of Billie by many tree lengths. But, she was determined on something, yet Briarlight couldn't tell what it was. Finally, the tortoiseshell and white she-cat snorted out, "Name's Amy."

"So you also came from a Twoleg family? Like Billie's?" Briarlight smiled, trying to loosen the tension of Amy's attitude. Sadly, it was almost complete futility when Amy squinted one eye narrow but kept her other one wide open.

"The hag didn't tell ya did she? Typical," Amy muttered harshly. Seeing the obvious confusion on Briarlight's face, she continued. "I lived with that old cat the majority of my life. Up until her death, that is. Then I was forced to live with the two little brats that did the same thing that that old she-cat did to my No-Collar."

Briarlight could tell now that Amy's tension was coming from overpowering anger, much stronger than Jayfeather's on any bad day. She peered down to see Amy digging her claws into the dirt deeply. "You're going to have to clear up on me, please Amy." She announced, starting to fear of standing up to this short-tempered she-cat.

Without warning, Amy's ears tipped down to her head, her pupils turned to slits, and the green glare turn painfully hot. "That's none of your business!" She snarled, causing Briarlight to recoil back in fright. "A kit like you? How does she even think—no, how do any of them possibly think a flipping _crippled kit _can save them? It makes no sense!" In some sense, Briarlight watched Amy vanish abruptly, clearly fighting over herself on unanswered and frustrating questions. It was scary, yes, but surprisingly painful too. Briarlight didn't like seeing any cat go crazy because they don't know something.

With batted breath, she slowly went back to sorting out the remaining herbs, however kept looking over her shoulders every few heartbeats, just in case Amy popped in again. "It seems she blames a lot on other cats; especially Billie. I wonder why she hated her so much? Billie looks like she couldn't harm a fly, even when a little annoyed…" She mumbled out loud. "I wonder why I'm seeing ghosts?"

That made her stop in her pawsteps. She didn't realize that her body was starting to shake a little. "Am I…am I going to die soon?" That question hung frozen in the air, with no one to give her an answer. For many bloodbeats, Briarlight prayed that StarClan, or even Billie, would come down and give a response.

Unfortunately no one came.

Still shaking, she quickly finished sorting and went outside to get some fresh air. The brown she-cat looked around, seeing everyone—even the elders and kits—doing something for the Clan. The warriors were still shuffling away snow, some still moving away fallen debris from the storm, only it was much harder with the snowfall the Clans just had. Cherrykit and Molekit were eagerly helping their mother and Ferncloud and Daisy bundle up fresh moss bedding and cleaning out the queen's den. Mousefur and Purdy were the same.

_'Everyone does so much, and yet I can only waddle around on two legs,'_ Briarlight thought pitifully. _'Maybe they've got the wrong cat after all.'_

She looked at the fresh-kill pile and saw that it was moderately filled. Her stomach grumbled for food, but she decided against it. With sudden stiff steps, Briarlight walked around the camp slowly, not in any hurry to finish up.

Briarlight's ears flickered when she heard bushes rustle loudly. She turned just in time to see Ivypaw burst out, her steps stiff and angrily stomping down on the cold ground. "Ivypaw, come back!" Dovepaw followed her sister out of the bushes, quickly catching up to her.

_'Hmm, a sisterly argument it seems.'_ Briarlight thought, shamefully eavesdropping on the two apprentices.

"Leave me alone, Dovepaw! I don't want to…" Ivypaw lowered her voice to a hiss, barely audible for Briarlight's ears. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"But—" Dovepaw wasn't given a second chance as the white and gray tabby scurried away. Dovepaw's tail lashed in the air viciously, showing that she was angry too.

_'What's with cats today? Everyone seems angry at someone or something since that battle.' _Briarlight thought, quickly regretting her negative thoughts from before.

"Hey, Briarlight!" The sound of her brother, Bumblestripe, made her happier to think of something other than bad stuff. She turned to see the gray and black tabby trot over to her, a grin on his broad face. "You doing alright?"

"Better than ever! Jayfeather gave me this new herb called ginger. It's made my coughing and breathing so much better and I'm very pleased that it worked."

"That's good. Um…listen," Bumblestripe paused, glancing around them, as if to see if anyone was listening or watching. "Do you want to head out of camp and just, you know, take a much needed walk?"

Briarlight thought she would never hear any ThunderClan cat offer such a thought to her ever again. Holding down a kitten squeal, she merely nodded her head eagerly. "Of course! That's very kind of you, Bumblestripe." She said with a big smile.

"Okay. Follow me quietly." He said, turning and heading towards the bushes. Briarlight followed, peeking behind her to see no one noticing them creeping out of camp. Thanks to all of the new exercising, she was much quicker in catching up to Bumblestripe, taking him by surprise of course.

**In some sense, this chapter was a little slow –shrugs- but I don't like immediately jumping the gun barrel without giving some kind of suspension XD **

**Review please, and tell me what you think about Billie or Amy! Questions are allowed if you want to ask them :D **

**Until next time~**


	4. Chapter 3

**Ahh, I'm back! I was at three AMAZING days of AniMinneapolis for the very first time. It's something I definitely will not forget, even after I die. **

**But moving onto a different subject; Here's the next chapter! WOO! A little shorter, unfortunately, but it was either that or even more boring shit that you would've yawned and stopped ready (if you haven't yet XD) And you guys have a very lucky place; this is going to be a double chapter upload! I feel like this chapter is left hanging a bit…dull, so the next chapter will also be posted today as well. **

**You're welcome~!**

**Once again, review if you have a question so far, or if you simply want to say how you like the story so far :)**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 3: **

"You feeling okay?" He asked when they emerged from the bushes. Briarlight, panting a little, glanced back to see that they had left the safety of camp by several fox-lengths. She nodded to Bumblestripe and they continued their stroll down to the lakeside. It seemed clearer out in the open, vulnerable but well worth the journey. She let out a happy sigh, sagging down into the pawstep-deep snow. The wind tickled her nose with scents.

"I needed this so much, Bumblestripe!" She gasped, not caring that it was cold out. "Thank you, brother."

He licked his shoulder absently in embarrassment. "Yeah, no problem. I figured that it was time that you get a break from the orders and clan tension." He said with a smile. Silence fell over them both as they stared out into the thinly frozen lake. His tail swished lazily behind them.

Briarlight had to hand it to Bumblestripe; this was a perfect place to get some fresh air. Even if the evening air was getting darker, it was also breathtaking. Unable to sit still any longer, Briarlight scurried down into the snow, rolling and batting it around playfully. It would've felt embarrassing with her brother watching her, but she didn't care at the moment.

Freedom was sweet, ever so sweet to her right now.

She didn't know how long she had been practically bouncing through the snow and chasing small things, but finally she grew tired enough to crawl back next to Bumblestripe, shaking snow out of her fur and getting in his. He glared at her, but merely brushed the snow off himself with his tail.

"You know, I keep wondering… wondering about whether or not there is a cure for you, Briarlight," He said, still staring out into the water. "I mean, I know Jayfeather has been and is still doing all that he can do to help you through your struggles. He's a great cat, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking that there must be—no _has _to be—a solution for your legs. I just wish it was so much easier to find."

"Why?" Briarlight asked, glancing over at Bumblestripe.

"I have these dreams that everything is just the way it should've been, had the tree not fallen on you. Where you, Blossomfall, and me are closer as siblings and friends, not like what it's now. You have your legs back, you're hunting, running, joyfully enjoying everything life gives you. But most of all, you're **you**."

Bumblestripe gave a long, quiet stare out into the lake before looking fully at his sister. "I know I shouldn't feel pity on you, or what had happened, but I hope…I truly do, that you'll find what you're looking for, regardless of anyone says to you, Briarlight. You're the bravest among all of us."

Briarlight was a little confused, but was touched at where Bumblestripe was going. Leaning on him slightly, she purred, "Do you think that'll ever happen?"

Her answer was a shrug. "Maybe. Maybe not."

When he said this, Briarlight thought back to when Billie explained to her the prophecy; and of her choice in whether accepting it or not.

_'My words of wisdom and care, hopefully, will guide you in the right path. But I'll never be able to force you to make your own decisions. Not now, not ever. No cat, not even StarClan cats, can change that.'_

_ 'Is StarClan that powerless in some cases? I thought they made up our paths for us…'_ Briarlight pondered. She felt a nudge on her face, making her look at Bumblestripe.

"You okay? You zoned out on me." He said in concern, yet a smile was twitching onto his lips. Briarlight rolled her eyes and nudged him back.

"'Course I am! We should head back to the camp before Millie and the others start worrying."

"Okay. Just follow me."

The two siblings made a hasty return to the camp, only getting a few confused looks by some Clan cats. Briarlight thanked her gray tabby brother one more time before heading into to the medicine den.

Briarlight was surprised to not see Jayfeather inside, considering how quick it was getting dark outside. Wanting to still be of help, she crawled over and re-checked the stocking of herbs. Though she was a warrior, she actually enjoyed her time as—what she calls herself—a 'medicine warrior'. It took her mind off her troubling thoughts in most situations.

Just as she finished, Jayfeather walked in rather tiredly. This grabbed her attention immediately. Before she could ask him what was wrong, the gray tom stiffened, looking over his shoulder and around him. It appeared that he thought someone was watching him. He turned around to face the entrance to the den and sat down.

She watched Jayfeather's blind eyes glaze over, as if he was seeing something far away. Briarlight saw something float in front of him, taking the form of a cat slowly. That gray cat soon colored into a beautiful and uniquely pattern tortoiseshell she-cat. For a heartbeat, Briarlight thought it was Amy, but then she remembered Amy would've had a colder atmosphere around her. However beautiful she was, the she-cat had a grave look on her face.

_"I'm sorry, Jayfeather, but there is nothing I can change by myself of these situations. StarClan is almost at a lost cause now. You must hurry…"_ She said eerily, her voice filled with fear and sadness. Then, as quickly as she appeared, the tortoiseshell vanished from Briarlight's sight.

"Wait Spottedleaf!" Briarlight heard Jayfeather whisper hoarsely. But the cat was already gone from them. Jayfeather shook his head and placed on his usual gruff look. He walked over to his nest, curling up into a tight ball.

It took a surprising amount of willpower not to ask the medicine tom what that was all about and why it was bothering him. But she managed, only giving him a sympathetic look instead. Briarlight didn't know why, but she waited until Jayfeather's breathing slowed and deepened, indicating that he was dreaming. Only then did she move over to him.

By his side, the brown she-cat groomed his dirty fur out of kindness, seeing before how much he had been doing for all of ThunderClan since the fight with ShadowClan. _'I wish I was just as loyal and willing to help the Clan in anything like you, Jayfeather. You've helped me so much, and others you've helped too…a true medicine cat.' _

That last part unknowingly sent a sharp pain through her heart, though she thought of it just as her trouble breathing coming back. With a sigh, she finished cleaning him for the night and dragged herself over to her nest. A yawn was released from her mouth before she, too, drifted into her clouds of dreaming.

.

.

Briarlight felt something fluffy and soft tickle her nose, causing her to sneeze. She looked up to see a familiar she-cat standing over her. For a second, she expected another round of hissing and snarling, but thought twice when she saw the amusement glint in the tortoiseshell's eyes.

"A-Amy? What…what are you—"

"Here to say sorry, for the way I behaved." Amy said quickly, shifting her gaze away from Briarlight. Amy's gesture may've seemed stiff and annoyed, but the tortoiseshell gave off generosity that she was probably raised up with. Judging a cat by their scent and pelt was discouraged by Briarlight, because you may never know what lies underneath it all.

"You goin' to keep staring at me or what? The hag wants to see you explore outside of the Clans, or somethin' to that effect." Amy scoffed.

Briarlight didn't argue against the she-cat and merely stood up on all four, savoring the feeling of being a whole cat. "Too bad it's a dream," She said out loud, not minding that Amy heard her. "I could've sworn I was in the medicine den still."

"That's because we are, stupid. You're just in your **dreampaws**1." Amy countered bluntly. She didn't change her expression of boredom when Briarlight stared at her in shock and then looked around.

Once again, the tortoiseshell was right. The same cracks and splints in the medicine den, with the same herbs and moss beds that she and Jayfeather slept on. Curiously, Briarlight looked over to see the tom still in the same position as when she saw before falling asleep. She looked behind her to see her own self cuddled snuggly into her bed.

"I've never been in something like this before. It's so…so…"

"Mind-boggling?" Amy finished with a smirk on her face. Confused, Briarlight merely nodded.

"Yeah, something to that effect." A pause hung in the air between the two she-cats. Amy kept quiet as she stood up and walked out of the den. She halted for a moment, giving Briarlight a questioning look before sauntering from her sight. Like a curious kit, Briarlight quickly fell in step with Amy.

"Wow…it's a little different seeing things in the night." Briarlight said in somewhat awe. Amy simply gave a shrug for a response.

She led the brown she-cat over to the bushes that she and Bumblestripe went through the previous evening. Amy, however, gave a pause in front of the apprentice den, narrowing her eyes at the sight. Briarlight looked in as well, seeing only Ivypaw and Dovepaw sleeping separately in their nests.

"What's wrong? Do you see something?" She asked.

"Yeah. Trouble on all levels. Look." Amy pointed with her tail over to Ivypaw, who whimpered quietly in her sleep. Her head tossed and turned, as if she was dreaming about battling with another cat.

Without warning, Briarlight watched a gash appear out of nowhere on Ivypaw's pelt. It was small but deep, blood trickling down her side and into her moss bedding. Horrified, Briarlight went to check up on her, when Amy's tail held her back by twisting around her neck.

"Let her," She said, still glaring at the apprentice. "She needs to learn on her own what the rights and wrongs of that otherworld are. And she won't find many rights in it."

"What are you talking about?! She's hurt and bleeding! She could be in serious condition if she doesn't get that checked up." Briarlight protested.

"She's been through worse. Trust me on that." Amy said, coiling her tail tighter around the brown she-cat's neck and started moving again. Not liking the feel of being choked, Briarlight dragged on too, debating what Amy had said about Ivypaw.

The tortoiseshell finally let go of her when they emerged from the bushes, outside of ThunderClan camp. "Where exactly are we going, Amy?" Briarlight asked again. This resulted in another annoyed sigh from the dead cat.

"Nowhere that you would know, I guess. I'm taking you outside of the Clans' territories for a bit." At the shock look on Briarlight's face, Amy placed in smugly. "I lied about the old trout saying that we need to explore under her orders. I'm taking you out so that you become smarter and less of a lazy squirrel."

"But why? What good am I to you?"

Amy didn't answer at first, but instead started trotting faster. "If you ever want to find your answers, stop sitting around and run towards challenges!" She called back, racing in the direction of WindClan.

Aghast, Briarlight found it quick how hard it was to keep up with the unexpectedly swift cat. For a moment, the brown she-cat thought Amy was almost a WindClan warrior.

Coming to her senses, Briarlight skidded to a halt on a hillside, panting heavily, shoulder muscles abruptly cramping up. "What in the name of StarClan is happening to me? Am I getting that lazy?"

As an answer, a body was thrown against her back, knocking off her balance and the air out of her lungs. Briarlight's face was pushed into the dirt ground, making her wince even more.

"It seems that sitting in the medicine den for a few moons has done some good and bad on ya." Amy's voice growled above her, pushing harder on Briarlight's shoulders.

Hissing, the brown she-cat pushed back and rolled to the side. However, her attempt was futile as Amy latched onto Briarlight's neck. On instinct, Briarlight thrashed about, trying to get the she-cat off of her. _'She's going to kill me in my dreams!' _Her mind screamed.

Briarlight made her upper body bounce down low to the ground, catching Amy off for a second. Taking it, she reached back and pulled Amy away and slammed her into the ground as payback. She jumped away, shaking with energy and fear of what just happened.

"What in the name of StarClan is wrong with you?" Briarlight hissed angrily. "You were trying to kill me!"

"Think what you may, kit, but that was just a test, and you barely passed. Under the nesthold that I lived in, you would've been far more bruised up than what you'll be later on tonight." Amy said with no silliness anywhere in her voice.

When Briarlight managed to calm her breathing, she spoke up again. " Why did you do that? What was that all about anyways?"

"That, you dolt, was to see how smart you would've been in a one-on-one battle. From what I can gather, you would've been either dead, or so hurt that you would be needing medical care for days on end," Amy explained, looking up into the night sky for no apparent reason. "If ya want to be stronger, to _feel_ stronger, you need to train, hard. Regardless if it's daylight or nighttime."

"Are you going to be my mentor for that?" Briarlight inquired worriedly. The very thought of being under the mentoring of an overly angered cat such as Amy gave her the chills.

As if she heard Briarlight's thoughts, Amy scoffed disgustingly. "Think of it what you want to, kit. Now," Amy stepped forth, coming closer till she over towered the shocked she-cat. "the first rule is this, never go into a fight without knowing the enemy's moves and parts of his territory. You must have a keen eye for everything, or face death in the end."

"But I thought—"

"Never assume that you must learn everything about your territory first! Learning of what is outside of it will give you the upper paw. And if you do not do so, then you must be able to adapt to your surroundings."

"You're making very little sense, Amy," Briarlight said. That caused a hard slap to the face with Amy's paw. She quickly recoiled back. "Hey!"

"You don't ask questions like that when you're learning, fool. So shut up and start taking in everything," Amy growled, pushing Briarlight forward. "Well? What are you waiting for?! Get going!"

_'This is going to be far worse than when Thornclaw mentored me!'_ Was Briarlight's last thought before she was swiped again in the ear for not being fast enough in Amy's opinion.

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**-****dreampaws: **_When a cat—or any other creature—is unconscious/sleeping and is having experiences in their dreams or even in out of body occasions. Even in dreampaws, they can be injured…or worse._

**Oohh, the pain of having Amy as a teacher/mentor…Briarlight is gonna have to get through it in order to get stronger ;) **

**Also, I felt it was right for Briarlight to leave the camp with her brother because she needed to get out and savor things before they unknowingly get worse…**

**Until next time~!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's the fourth chapter! After looking this over, it definitely has more spunk than the last two. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Please review afterwards; ask questions, and I will answer them! **

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 4**

Over the next several days—and several nights—Briarlight experienced the hardship under Amy's mentoring. It seemed to never end, no matter how well she did something. If so, Amy would order her to do it better, run faster, and react smarter to obstacles around her. Briarlight, on many occasions, wished that she had never agreed to be trained by Amy. She was cold, never giving out happy compliments; and even if the tortoiseshell did so, it was a short answer such as 'Good enough' and then would go back to harsh insults and orders.

Even when Briarlight was awake, she could feel the eyes of the easily annoyed she-cat on her backside, observing her every move. At first, it was nothing because Briarlight didn't think of it as anything. But she quickly developed a sixth sense in telling whether or not someone was watching her when she wasn't looking. Amy didn't hesitate informing Briarlight that she should be on the lookout most of the time.

And yet, despite everything Amy was pushing onto Briarlight's shoulders, Briarlight could tell that she was getting keener, sharper, and even stronger. Sadly, it came with a price. She felt like she was losing sleep on some nights, and she would skip out on meals to keep up with Amy's orders.

"Come on Briarlight! You're going to lose!" Cherrykit chirped, being almost to the top of the fallen log that they continuously played at.

"Yeah, Briarlight, you need to hurry up!" Molekit encouraged her.

Chuckling at their eagerness, she easily climbed up higher onto the log, purring proudly as she pulled herself pass the kits and reached the top before they did. She knew it was because of the constant exercising she was doing on her own during the day, and with Amy during the night in her dreams. At first, it was confusing that she was getting muscles despite being asleep. But Amy told her that her dreampaws didn't stop her body from growing.

"Aww! You beat us again!" Cherrykit mewled.

"I've beaten you two, what, only three times? You guys are much faster than I am. I just got lucky."

"Let's do it again, Briarlight! First one down and then back up to the top wins a meal!" Molekit said, even as he was already starting down the log.

"Cheater! You didn't say start!" Cherrykit protested to her brother as she, too, scurried down the log. Briarlight admired the way the two siblings kept each other the best of company whenever they were starting to get bored. She remembered when Bumblestripe, Blossomfall, and her were all like that once. Happy, bold, selfless, and carefree about dangers.

All they wanted was to have fun and go on adventures.

Then that adder came and tried to kill Briarlight when she was a kit. She was pushed out of the way by Honeyfern, who took the blow and died. To this day, Briarlight still felt guilty for her causing the death of a loving warrior like Honeyfern.

"Briarlight! Come on!" Cherrykit whined from above Briarlight's head. Apparently, she had landed on the ground and was staring off into the camp. Shaking her head, Briarlight looked up to see, surprisingly, the kits had already beaten her to the top of the log.

"Sorry, you two. I'm just not feeling it today. I'm a little tired though." She insisted, giving off a fake yawn. Though she could've gone back to the medicine den to sleep off her thoughts, she instead stayed by the kits, keeping a close eye on them as they jumped up and down the fallen log. She would chuckle whenever they started play fighting, tumbling about in a bundle of furry pelts. So much energy that they had made her laugh. They tired out the adults quicker than they did to themselves!

In a way or two, Briarlight loved being around the kits, not as a role of a friend or big sister, but secretly learning the ways of a mother. She believed that, with her back legs gone, no tom would love her and try giving her kits of her own. So she relished in the love that Cherrykit and Molekit give to the entire camp.

"They serve a good purpose to the Clan." Amy's voice filtered through the air. Briarlight peered over just a little to see the she-cat eyeing everything around her, obviously interested in the way things were laid out.

"More than just one," Briarlight quietly pointed out. "And we all love them for their optimistic energy. We need it nowadays."

"Boy, do I know that," Amy muttered. Her transparent form moved closer to Briarlight, sitting only a few pawsteps away. "I can feel—no more like sense—the tension, the distrusting emotions clogging the normal air of calm and peacefulness. And here I thought where I used to live was thick with stress and other negative feelings."

"You could feel all of it?"

"Of course, kit. I was born unique, though I think no one could tell."

"They probably didn't because of your foul mouth." Briarlight placed in bluntly. During their training, Amy and Briarlight talked among each other as friendly rivals, mainly Amy countering with harsh insults and Briarlight soft comments. It was a mutual acquaintance to both of them.

Briarlight suddenly felt prickles itch on her neck and backside. She looked over to see Amy standing up, her fluffy short hair standing on all ends. Her eyes were silts, fear flowing off of her.

"Get the kits into the queen's den." Amy hoarsely said.

"Wha-What?"

"Get them in now! It is about to—"

Amy's words were cut off just as a huge orange creature jumped into the Clan's camp. Cats yowled and started hissing in fear as the fox started biting at some. Amy vanished with a soft 'pop' while Briarlight, instinctively, turned around to the kits.

"Molekit! Cherrykit! Hurry to the nursery!" She called.

The two kits, however, were frozen like ice, staring fearfully at the fox. Not wanting to take a single chance of the kits being hurt or worse, Briarlight began to pull herself up the log when she saw Amy behind them. Before she could ask what the tortoiseshell was going to do, Amy used her head and pushed the two kittens down the slippery and snowy log. Briarlight maneuvered just as fast, catching a squealing Cherrykit in her jaws by the scruff while sliding her limp back legs around so that her backside was a cushion to Molekit when he landed.

"Hurry now! Go!" She urged her nose to them. That snapped them out of their frightful stage and they ran to their mother, Poppyfrost, who quickly shuffled them into the queen's den.

Briarlight then suddenly saw the fox start after them.

Not thinking entirely straight, Briarlight crawled faster than she ever thought possible. Before the fox's muzzle got into the nursery, she reached there first and used her body as a small shield. She didn't hesitate in lashing out at the fox, delivering an impressive wound on its mouth.

The fox recoiled back, yelping and hissing menacingly at Briarlight, who countered back by puffing her fur up and hissing back. It went to bite her, but she pushed away, sliding on the snowy ground. She heard the queens and several other warriors yowling at her, but she paid no mind to them.

Briarlight ducked under another bite attempt at her body and countered it with a decisive blow to the fox's eye, making it yelp and jump away from her.

"Take that, you mouse-dung!" She yowled threateningly. She took a few steps forward, but stopped when the other warriors suddenly stepped in to take in her place and scare off the fox. Lionblaze, in particular, had the look and gestures itching to chase after it.

Briarlight turned back around to the nursery to check up on the kits and she-cats. "Are you guys alright?" She asked carefully, taking deep breaths through her nostrils to calm her breathing.

Still stunned at the bravery she showed, Poppyfrost, Ferncloud, and Daisy all nodded numbly in answer. But Cherrykit and Molekit were instantly overwhelming Briarlight with comments on how brave she fought the fox.

"That was amazing! I wish I could be your apprentice! Then I could learn all the awesome things that you do in fighting, Briarlight!" Molekit squealed.

"No way! I'm going to be her apprentice! I always knew Briarlight was the best warrior in ThunderClan! No one gives her—"

"Briarlight!" Millie's frantic voice interrupted the two kits' arguing. Briarlight turned back around to see her mother, Firestar, and Jayfeather waiting outside, all having the look of disbelief or disappointment etched in their faces.

"What were you thinking?!" Millie exclaimed, glaring at her daughter. "You could've been killed by that fox!"

"And so could've the kits or the queens, Millie! I had to do something!"

"And that something should've been running for safety, not throwing your body at the fox! Not with your legs—"

"I'm not that weak, Mother!" Briarlight snarled. "I've been working out, training myself, to become stronger. And what's more, it felt so good to jump into the fox's eyesight. It was something I've always wanted to do, but never have done," When she stopped, her breath was heavy, her eyes blurry with unshed tears. "I wanted to be meant something to the Clan, not some kind of half-broken cat waddling along and avoiding the need to belong."

"But you do belong, Briarlight," It was Firestar who spoke up this time. His face had contoured into the emotion of forgiveness. "You belong to ThunderClan, and are a warrior at heart. But that doesn't mean that fighting is your reason. You doing things for the Clan is what shows us who you really are."

Briarlight stared at her beloved leader for long heartbeats, until she finally bowed her head in a sorrow sigh. "But I want to do more. I want to _be_ more. I…" Her words trailed off as her tears started to rim the corners of her eyes.

"I have to say, though, it took great courage and honor to face down a fox such as that," Firestar quickly placed in. A small smile came onto his face when he watched Briarlight's snap up to meet his. "I'm proud of you for guarding the nursery so well. That was wise of you."

Even with his words, Briarlight's hopes were dashed when Millie stepped in. "It will probably be the last time however, sweetheart. I don't want you to get hurt while being defenseless."

Briarlight wanted to object, to say that she was no longer a kit and could take care of herself most of the time, but begrudgingly held it in. She crawled over to Jayfeather, who hadn't spoken once, but merely stood on the sidelines and waited. With a gulp, she stopped in front of him.

"Sorry, Jayfeather." Was all she could muster.

The blind medicine cat didn't replay, but instead indicated with his tail for her to follow him. She did so, allowing him to lead her back to the medicine den, where he again waited for her to lie down in front of him. He pressed down on her shoulders, checking to see if she had been dealt any wounds. He sniffed her pelt, but only came up with the blood scent of the fox.

"The fox shed blood first?" He said curtly. She nodded, mainly to herself considering he could not see.

"Yes. And it was unbelievable," She said in a breathless tone. "All of a sudden, now it feels like it was so many moons ago, when I just beat the fox just a few heartbeats ago."

"Yeah, well, don't go getting your tail up in a bunch, Briarlight," He retorted calmly, giving her some more coltsfoot. "Like your mother said, it will more than likely not be happening again anytime soon."

Briarlight was hurt by his words. She thought Jayfeather would be happy and proud that she did something the other cats thought she had lost the spirit in doing; but he'd just brushed it off.

She stared at his face, noticing that it was all in his eyes. He may not show his emotions by body very easily, but it was another factor when one looked into his sightless eyes.

Unfortunately, he could detect when a cat was doing so.

"What?" He barked, moving his gaze to the side. But Briarlight caught the uncertainty before she lost it.

"What's wrong, Jayfeather? Why are you snippier than usual?" Briarlight felt bad for breaking her vow not to interfere with another cat's problems, but something urged her to ask Jayfeather.

"It's none of your concern," He back-lashed. "It's my business only."

"But you can talk to me, Jayfeather!" She countered, her anger getting the better of her. "Why is it that when anyone tries to help you, you reject them? What have we done to get that attitude? Huh?!"

"Because it's not your duty to help me, it is I that is suppose to protect you all!" He hissed. "It's who I'm supposed to be. My destiny is to do so!"

When he said those exact words, his face turned to that of horror, like he had slipped out something he wasn't supposed to. Unsure of what he was truly speaking, she shook her head assuming otherwise. "Jayfeather, even if you're a medicine cat, you shouldn't do it alone. There are warriors, friends that you have, family, that are here for you."

"You don't understand," Jayfeather sighed wearily. "I…Never mind."

Her ears flattened against her head. "No _'never mind'_, Jayfeather. What would it take to get it through your head that I'm here for you because I want to be!"

The air grew very silent, filling up with tension and hot embarrassment from Briarlight. She looked away from Jayfeather when he didn't respond. Her heart felt like a jagged rock had raked its thorn sharp edges through painfully slow. But she couldn't understand why she felt like this.

"You've been starving yourself, Briarlight." Jayfeather changed the subject abruptly as she reached her nest.

Worried that he would find out about her secret with Amy, she lied, "I've felt that I shouldn't feed if I can't do anything real important for the Clan."

"Well, that's mouse-dung. You've been helping us by helping me with the herbs. Sometimes…sometimes I'm grateful for having you as help, Briarlight," He gave pause, eyeing her blindly. "What would it take to get you to start eating again?"

"Well…" She thought hard and long. Perhaps she should take it easy on her training and focus more on her health. It was important, to her and the others especially. "Maybe give me a better task than just sorting out the herbs when you say so?"

He nodded, growing quiet to think it over. She smiled to herself when his blue eyes brightened up in realization. "How does being carekeeper for the dens sound? It's not an apprentice easy job, but it would keep you occupied more often."

_'Carekeeper? Hmm…I like it.'_ She thought. Briarlight looked at Jayfeather and responded enthusiastically, "I'd be honor to become carekeeper, Jayfeather. When do I start?"

As a response, he got up, left the den, only to come back with two mice. He dropped one in her paws. "You can start after you get something to eat tonight. You can start with the nursery den. Maybe even ask Molekit and Cherrykit to help a little too." He said, moving back to his nest so that he can eat his.

"Okay!" As she ate her meal, she watched the gray tabby eat his. It seemed to occur to her just now that his fur was shorter around his long, past-recovered scar that ran down his shoulder and side. She vaguely remembered him mentioning that Poppyfrost had scurried away from ThunderClan camp to Moonpool all by herself while she was carrying Cherrykit and Molekit. He had earned the scar protecting the pregnant queen, though he never told anyone—well, anyone except Lionblaze more than likely—who gave it to him.

She finished her mice in small, savoring gulps, and started up on a quick groom-over on her face. When she was done, she listened to Jayfeather's words of advice and went off to work. Though she didn't want to admit it to anyone, she felt that no one trusted her instincts to fight, and that this was just a simple distraction.

_'I wonder what Amy will think of it tonight?'_ Briarlight pondered, feeling doubt and worry etch around the rims of that question.

.

.

Briarlight was placed into real work with the kits after Jayfeather advised her to leave so that he could check over Lionblaze, who had walked into the medicine den all bloody. And yet despite his coat being bloody, Briarlight had noticed that he had not received any wounds from her angle of view. It hurt her that Jayfeather had lied to her, but there was nothing she could do. Even if she confronted him about it, more than likely he would've sealed his mouth shut and said something not related to the subject of matter.

She enjoyed becoming a carekeeper. It suited her for the moment. She felt at ease again and not so pumped up like she had been after the fox incident.

As she finished up with the last moss bed in the nursery, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Dovepaw, Lionblaze and Jayfeather sneaking away. No one that was nearby seemed to mind it, which made her even more confused.

A snarl brought her out of her staring. It was so raw, so menacing, that for many heartbeats Briarlight thought the fox was back. But she quickly realized that it was a cat's snarl. She crawled around the bushes to locate Amy's transparent form glowing dimly. Opposite of her was Billie, who had the eyes of a cold feral badger. Even with her deformed ears, she looked dangerous.

"It wasn't my doing, idiot!" Amy snarled loudly. Her fur was standing up on all ends, making her look more like that of a porcupine.

"Of course it was! And shall I ask why you are even training her?! She's crippled and doesn't have her feet back." Billie hissed.

"Look who's talking, old hag! This coming from the _almighty_ leader of the nest! You were nothing to me. And what makes you think she would follow in your footsteps?"

"I never said she had to, Amy. You know better than that. And I know this; that you don't just take in a cat for training unless it has a purpose for you."

"That's none of ya business, Bills! So what if I train her, and have a purpose for her? What's wrong with that?" Amy seemed to glow brighter the more she got angry. Same went to Billie.

"It's your attitude and lust for revenge that makes your untrusting, Amy. You've been trying to get back at me for reasons I don't even know! You always were so mad at everyone. Mainly at me when I hadn't done anything." Billie's voice grew soft, but still held anger in it.

Without warning, Amy tackled Billie to the ground hard. Briarlight could practically feel the heat radiating off of Amy's form. She wanted to tell them to stop, but she forced herself not to. Instead, she stared fearfully as Billie struggled underneath Amy's strength.

"You made the mistake first, old hag," Amy whispered darkly. "You had taken everything from me, including **her**. Darn it, you took _**him**_away from me and you know it! And you didn't say anything to me for comfort! So everything I did to you was what you got. You were weak and deserved every, little, _blow_."

Billie eyed Amy for long heartbeats and finally shook her head. "It wasn't my fault, Amy. You didn't allow anyone close to you except my mate. And you know what? It is not I who is weak."  
With unexpected grace and power, Billie pulled all four paws to her chest and threw Amy off her to the side. As Amy got up, Billie rammed her head into the tortoiseshell's side, right where her lungs would be. Briarlight heard Amy's breath come out in a _'whoosh'_ and Billie didn't stop there. She bit down on Amy's neck and slammed her into the ground.

For a heartbeat, Briarlight thought Billie was going to kill Amy. But she quickly remembered that they were already dead. _'But that still means they can be killed, only in a different way right?'_ She thought to herself.

The two she-cats glared at each other, Amy's being more prominent. Suddenly, with a sigh, Billie pulled away, shame and disappointment swirling in her eyes. "I refuse that you see Briarlight, Amy. I do not want you changing her destiny to a way that you will use her for your own wants. Not for a single second," She took pause, looking over the tortoiseshell as if she has seen her for the first time. "She's not to be used as the item."

"Yeah, well, go vomit a hairball, you idiot!" Amy snarled. "Who ever said I would be using her?"

"You're emotions will keep on controlling you if you do not unleash them in a nonviolent way. Something you've done to me and the younglings for a long time before you passed on as well." Billie said slowly, not blinking as Amy appeared to be bracing herself for another strike.

"I always thought living like this, like a loner, away from you and the others, would bring me peace from your stupid voice. But no, it only seems to bring more pain and anger. Anger in which I will not simply allow words to dominate it. Especially yours," Amy's voice got quieter, but never wavered in the rage that made her glow brightly in the fading afternoon light. If looks could kill, Briarlight knew that Billie would be shriveling away to nothing by the glaring that Amy gave off.

_'She must be holding something dear deep inside of her that is making her so mad. Why can't she talk about it with anybody? Why not me?'_ She thought over.

The brown she-cat noticed that Amy was starting to stomp away. In spite of that, Billie yowled out to her, "And how do you think it made _**him**_ feel, Amy? How do you think it made _**her **_feel, to not know what was causing you to be so upset?"

That seemed to get to Amy again. Stopping in her steps of her departure, the beautiful tortoiseshell's shoulders stiffened, giving her a deadly stance. "Don't you dare bring our owner into this." She whispered.

"If I have to do get you to understand, then I will." Billie retorted.

"She has nothing to do—"

"SHE HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH US!" Billie yelled, taking Briarlight and Amy by surprise. Such power roared through her speaking. "She has everything to do with the fate that had lied in her paws all those years ago. I don't know why you think she hated you, but you're wrong. We were all loved equally, maybe more than another on some days, but never for long," Billie stopped, breathing a little erratically. "Run all you want from your problems, Amy. But know that it will only get you into a deeper hole. And don't go trying to train someone for revenge. It'll only bring you down farther."

They gazed at each other for who knows how long. Briarlight had held her breath through the majority of the fight, only taking a breath when she felt dizzy. She eyed them both as their forms disintegrated into the air.

Leaving a very puzzled and lost Briarlight behind.

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**AAAAANNNNDDD, there you have it! A tense argument between Amy and Billie…which got out of hand a little quicker than Briarlight expected.**

**Review on how you liked this chapter! Ask me questions through a review please!**

**Until next time~!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone~! I hope who celebrates America's birthday had a spectacular time yesterday. Hence why I didn't upload yesterday. Having too much fun does that to oneself XD**

**Anyways…there really isn't much to say except reminding everyone that reviews are welcomed and if you have any questions, you can give them to me via a review too :) (Still a bit puzzled as to why there aren't any more, but I won't bitch about it)**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Briarlight awoke again, growling in frustration. Her dreams were nothing compared to tonight. Amy hadn't woken her in her "dreampaws" again, leaving her mind to cast over the fight. This was the third time Briarlight woke up from the same exact dream since the fight a few days ago. It was like a never-ending wave that continued to repeat itself over and over in her sleep. Billie's and Amy's snarls lingered like cobwebs in her thoughts.

_'What did they mean by me being the _'item'_? Why didn't Amy defend herself or for me? What was Billie talking about Amy's past conflicts affecting her? And who is this _him _cat?' _

Question after question clawed unanswered through her mind, to the point Briarlight was wide awake and more restless than she had ever been. Sighing again, Briarlight picked herself up and carefully drugged along the cold ground. She stopped to peer over at Jayfeather, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw him undisturbed from his slumber. With a last look, she exits out of the den.

Once outside, the cold crisp night air blew in her face, feeling exceptionally nice against her overheated body. Leafbare unleashed a soft flurry of snowflakes down onto the lake territories, and lightly touched Briarlight's nose, causing her to giggle quietly.

She looked about, checking the area for any awake cats. She saw the queens nuzzling close to each other and the kits, who looked more like readied apprentices now instead of just newborns. _'Time has flown so quickly throughout ThunderClan. Both for the good and bad times.' _Briarlight thought with a neutral smile. The day she overheard the others freaking out when Cherrykit was struggling to breathe and that Jayfeather was arguing with Mothwing, Briarlight felt utterly helpless again, unable to do anything. She didn't know of any more ginger roots anywhere, and even if she did, they would've been as dead and useless as her hind legs at this time of season. But when a mysterious cat—whom she thought was Billie's spirit—found a bundle of yarrow, Cherrykit's life was saved.

The warrior den was crowded with the apprentices, Dovepaw and Ivypaw, inside. For a moment, Briarlight was glad she was sleeping in the same den as a medicine cat and not with so many other cats that potentially snored.

Although she knew that this was wrong, the urge to escape the clutches of all the tensions going on around her was too much for her to bear any longer. She felt stronger, more independent thanks to the hardships of Amy's 'training'. Even her breathing was improving faster than any of the ThunderClan cats expected. It left Jayfeather more suspicious and confused. He had asked her if there were any more ginger roots that she found, but she replied with an honest 'no' and countered it with the fact that she was just overcoming her sickness.

The feeling of sneaking out of ThunderClan camp was—surprisingly—exciting to Briarlight, far better than playtime with Cherrykit and Molekit. It cleared her mind quickly, making room for the intriguing thoughts and images outside the camp's ground.

As she broke through the bushes leading out into the open territory, Briarlight forced her breathing to steady out a bit, so that she wouldn't be heard in the dead silent night. She pushed herself towards the lake, mainly to the spot where Bumblestripe and her had sat at all those sunrises ago.

_'What a pretty night.' _She thought with a happy sigh. Indeed it was; the frozen lake skimmed to the farthest reaches of RiverClan's and ShadowClan's borders. The moon was almost half full, and yet gave off a magnificent hue onto the lake's surface and the snow covering parts of it. The sight was hypnotizing, causing Briarlight's eyes to drift open and close.

While she enjoyed the viewing, the she-cat's mind drifted deeper into memories, before she lost her ability to walk. How Jayfeather took care of her when she, her mother, and many other ThunderClan cats were suffering from the spread of greencough. When Honeyfern had sacrificed her life for Briarlight when the brown cat was just a kit, dying in the paws of an adder. As an apprentice on the day she lost her back legs; how Longtail—though blind he was—pushed her out of the way just as the large tree fell on top of them. He had taken the brunt of the damage, losing his life in the end.

Briarlight flexed her claws deep into the ground in sorrow and anger. _'Why can't I ever take care of myself? It suddenly seems like everyone has done everything for me, and usually lose their lives in the end! Am I just a curse to their fates?'_ Millions of questions whizzed through her mind so fast that it made her dizzy. Tears managed to escape her eyes, dripping onto the dying grass with silent _'plops'_.

Through her crying, Briarlight heard something close, something loud and startling. It was enough to stop her from crying and look around warily. At first, she saw nothing except the snowy territory, with only the moon and her heightened eyesight in the dark. But it rose again, breaking the silence once more. Turning to the forest area, Briarlight still stared at nothing. Yet…she could hear it…growing closer by the heartbeat, the sound of furious flapping crashing and breaking against short tree branches and the snow piled up.

_'What in the name of—'_ Her thought was cut off by the form of a large bird. It had to be the size of Lionblaze — who had a very large, hardy body for a tom— with feathers varying from blue, red, all the way to a tint of dark green and brown. Its red eyes were wide, searching with an almost unseen whipping of its head. However, a sound echoed behind it, causing the big bird to squawk again and disappear back into the forest.

_'By StarClan! That was a pheasant!'_ Her mind finally registered. Briarlight had heard Thornclaw mention a few times about a pheasant, and that how no ThunderClan cat has ever caught one because they were quick and also sharp with their talons.

For many heartbeats—almost too slow for Briarlight's liking—nothing appeared, but she could still hear the bird in the forest, making noises that surely would've woken all of ThunderClan up. Abruptly, the pheasant pounced out of the forest a second time, but now ran in the direction of her, before veering to the left sharply. However, it was too much, causing the pheasant to trip and stumble a little. Briarlight saw another form zip after the pheasant. She gasped softly, amazed at the sight of a cat running, probably faster than even the best WindClan cat, out after the pheasant, not missing one second of attempting to capture a meal.

Right there; in ThunderClan territory.

Now it was a game of chase; only the pheasant was going up against the beautiful silver and white cat. On bird-instincts, the fowl rigidly jumped into the air, hoping to get away safely. Briarlight watched the pheasant slowly flap its tired wings, gaining higher by fox-lengths with each flap.

Before Briarlight could feel the pity of a lost meal, the silver cat suddenly sprung, with unbelievable strength and beauty, into the air. The cat's claws reached out and latched onto the pheasant's tail feathers, gripping it tightly as gravity took over them. The fowl squawked in surprise as they tumbled down onto the ground again.

Briarlight remembered how to breathe again when the silver cat landed on three feet and still kept its grip on the pheasant as it struggled to break free. _'Amazing…'_ Briarlight thought in awe. Never had she seen any of her Clanmates take a chance like that. Usually they would give up, believing that they couldn't do it and go hunt for something smaller.

Then again, this was the first time she's seeing such a large male pheasant being hunted down in succession.

The silver cat's body now covered over the pheasant's, not taking a chance of losing this fight. Feathers flew up into the air as they struggled against one another. Briarlight's amber eyes widened when she heard the distinct snap of the neck bone breaking. She saw the pheasant sagged in a heap, giving off its last few twitches of life before dying.

Briarlight couldn't believe everything that had just happened in front of her. It was so quick, so elegant and flawless, for many heartbeats she didn't think it really happened. Long heartbeats, seemingly endless and slow, passed between when the pheasant had burst from the forest to his final breath of life in the jaws of this mysterious she-cat. Blood raindrops dribbled down from her mouth into the snowy surface below her. But it just made her more eerie.

"Wow…" Briarlight accidentally breathed out. She regrets it as she watched her breath cloud vanish into the air above her head. Eyeing the lone cat, she watched her lift her head higher to scan the area. Apparently, she didn't notice Briarlight's lithe brown body residing only several fox-lengths away by the shore of the lake. Her movements, even when not killing her prey, were calm, collected, without so much a paw of rigidness.

A twig snapped in the distant forest, followed by loud swishing of paws pushing through the snow. The she-cat whipped her head to it, ears erect and high. Briarlight did the same, hearing the distinctive voices of Dustpelt, Brambleclaw, and Toadstep on their night patrol.

"I think I heard the pheasant go out there, Brambleclaw," Said Dustpelt. "We could bring it back to the camp and get good meat out of it."

Not caring if the silver and white tabby saw her, Briarlight stood up on her forepaws and dragged herself quickly towards the bushes into ThunderClan camp. However, she halted when she realized the outcome of her body dragging back to the camp in snow; a trail wide open for them to follow and question her for leaving the safety of their home.

_'I'll never hear the end of it from my mother and Jayfeather!'_ Briarlight thought angrily.

A muffled mew came from behind her. She whirled clumsily around to see the same she-cat hunter carrying the pheasant in front of her but dragged part of it on the ground, almost like that of Briarlight's back legs. The brown warrior looked over the she-cat's shoulders to see the drag marks and paw marks over them.

"Let's hurry. Head up the hill, please." The she-cat said quietly, though it was almost not heard through the feathers in her mouth. Briarlight nodded numbly and pushed forward away from the direction of camp. Instead, her and the she-cat walked hastily up the hills of ThunderClan and farther away from the main territory itself. Snow started falling in a quick motion from the night clouds.

Briarlight, still trying to register what had occurred back there, turned to speak to the silver tabby. "T-Thanks miss." She said softly.

Chuckling, the she-cat shook her head a little with a smile on her mouth. "Nothing to it. You looked in a bit of trouble. It's the least I can do," She said, pausing to breath through her nose. "The snow will cover our tracks so we have nothing to worry about."

"Forgive me for saying this but…that was an amazing hunt! How did you learn how to jump so quick and high?" Briarlight breathed.

Bowing her head a little, the she-cat shrugged. "It's quite simple really. I get practice in my nest with my sisters. We have plenty high places and a wide space for running. That's how we learned to take such sharp turns in any terrain. Plus…I think it's a gift to jump so high."

"Cool," Silence started to grow but Briarlight wanted to keep on talking as they continued walking. "I'm Briarlight by the way. Um…what's your name, miss?"

Not stopping, she answered proudly, "Name's SJ."

Baffled, Briarlight was the one who stopped in her tracks. "SJ? Does it stand for anything?"

"Yep. Stand's for Smooth Jazz. I've always liked the music, so I was called it. But please, just call me SJ."

Even more confused than before with the foreign terms she spoke of, Briarlight decided to brush it away for now. "It's a…unique name, that's for sure."

"Indeed. But I cherish it like every breath I take. For without Mama's help, I don't know what would've happened to my sister and I had she not come and take us in." SJ's voice was traced with sadness but raised to hopefulness.

"Where's this sister of yours?" Briarlight asked curiously.

SJ waited until they reached a large pond that seemed to sparkle even with the diming night-light. She dropped the pheasant corpse on the ground, licking her jowls to clean off the blood. "Well, let's just say that my sister, Maple, is highly energetic, but knows her limit in several occasions. I honestly don't know where she is at this second, but I did tell her that there was prey across the lake. I'm just hoping she'll get back before this snowfall becomes a snowstorm."

"Yeah that would be bad, huh?" Briarlight mumbled. "Why were you in my Clan's territory? You could've been spotted. And why did you decide to help me even if I'm a threat to you?"

The she-cat gazed at her with calm eyes again, not speaking for several heartbeats. "I've been coming here since I was little, Briarlight. This is my play area with Maple. We come here when we feel like so. We hunt and reside here at this pool most of the time and have overheard many warrior cats speaking terms of things we know of, but differently."

"Wait, you understand us?"

"Of course. This is Moonpool, where your medicine cats—or _herbal cats_ as we call them—come to every moon, in which my friends and other cats I know of call a _harvest_. You wild cats go to Gatherings on Pine Island, where all of the cats can encounter with one another. You have territories—to which I do not understand why—marking borders with what you _wild cats_—or warriors as I hear—call patrols. Those would be call _clowder_ to us."

It took a couple of heartbeats for Briarlight to get everything SJ said through her head. When that was done, she shook herself from the confusion. "So, you mean to tell me you've been spying on us?"

"Meadow, no! It's just that when one has good hearing and is curious like Maple and I, we have the tendency to investigate what's going about. Yet," SJ paused, her facing conjuring into that of confusion and wonder. "with things as they are now, however, we don't go racing around here as often. Maple says that she can feel the tension welding up tighter and tighter, just from sniffing the air or walking around. It's scaring her, making me worried about her. I believe our last time here was almost three moon harvests ago…"

"Yeah, the Clans have been really wound up. Even going to the Gatherings, Jayfeather has said that there doesn't seem to be any less tense conditions going about."

"You mean you don't go to the Gatherings? I thought all Clan cats do. Pine Island surely must fit you all." SJ commented with surprise.

The brown she-cat shook her head in disagreement. "Nope. Cats are chosen to go. And that's a good thing, because queens and kits and elders wouldn't be suited to go. It could be dangerous on the way to the Island, or when there."

"Hmm, makes complete sense, dear. If I were a queen, I would definitely not want my kits out in conditions such as today. Say, this may sound awkward, but do you wild cats even try having fun? Like sliding on the lake when it's thick enough?"

"Thick enough? But it's frozen. Doesn't that mean anytime a cat can go on it? It's not like a Twoleg's walking on it. And no, no warrior cat goes on it. Unless they are a RiverClan cat, the other Clan cats don't go near such a vast amount of water."

"Cat or not, you must watch your step in any seemingly frozen lake. It has to be thick enough to walk on, or else one will fall through. And, if cold enough, the water will freeze back up again. It's a deadly weapon."

"How do you know that?"

"I've experienced it and almost died," A shudder ran through SJ's body. "I learned the hard way." Again, silence overcame them. Briarlight searched for clues in SJ's eyes as they skimmed over Moonpool's surface. Her shoulders were stiffening up, giving a light shudder from the cold.

"Aren't you afraid?" The words came out of Briarlight's mouth before she could stop herself. Shyly, she looked away, fearful of what SJ's expression to her question would be.

SJ eyed the brown she-cat, and started laughing. Briarlight snapped her head up again, startled by the silver and white tabby she-cat's voice. When she finally regained herself, SJ smiled at Briarlight. "Because it's an adventure every time."

"But…but aren't you scared that a patrol will spot you, or even attack you or Maple? How about getting yourself hurt or killed by a fox or badger? Or…or…"

"Calm yourself, Briarlight! You wild cats get so fearful so easily. Of course I question whether or not we will get killed by a clowder, or a badger or a fox. But you know what?" She paused, moving closer, as if she expected a cat overhearing her words. "Sometimes you need to get out of your protection nest in order to live."

"But I am living. What do you mean?" Briarlight asked.

"I mean _live_, Briarlight. Living, doing things or going to places you normally wouldn't go to. Yes, there may be dangers among different terrains of land, but without danger in life, without feeling a bit of fear, you don't feel complete as you want to feel."

SJ moved away from the warrior and sat back down on the shoreline of Moonpool. As she gazed into it, not glancing an eye at Briarlight, she said, "In some cases, going to a different place can heal something you originally think can't be fixed ever again."

Briarlight was speechless, wide-eyed, and frightened with the knowledge that SJ suddenly threw at her. "That…that can't be. After a tree fell on me, my legs—"

"I see they are limp and your back is broken, yes. But I know you've thought of other options right? Surely you've thought at least once of leaving ThunderClan to find a cure?"

_'Well, she's halfway right.'_ Briarlight thought reluctantly. In truth, Billie was the one who told her that she it would be best to leave ThunderClan. But that was said because her destiny started somewhere else, in order to help the Clan.

Suddenly, SJ stood erect, her body stiff and rigid unlike before. "What? What's wrong?"

SJ turned to face her, and Briarlight felt her heart freeze in fear. The sight of her eyes was so menacingly scared it made her frighten. "Something's happening, far from here, back near the lake," She said shakily. "Didn't you hear the faint crack?"

Now that Briarlight thought about it, she did, but she had thought it was just a thin tree branch snapping under the weight of heavy snow. "What do you think it could've been?"

"I don't know. I hope it was nothing serious," SJ mumbled, shaking the fear out of her body. "I think I best be going."

"Wait! You're leaving already? But we just met." Briarlight gasped.

SJ stopped, turning as Briarlight crawled up next to her. Suddenly shy, Briarlight bowed her head. "W-Will I ever see you again? I mean, where is it that you're going back to?"

"I live far from here, Briar. My nest takes a while to get back to by paw, so I have to leave early, especially with the snow coming down at this fast rate." SJ explained slowly, smiling only when Briarlight nodded. Ears folded back, she looked up into the sky in thought.

"Maybe, you could come with."

For a heartbeat, Briarlight stopped breathing. Then she yowled out with wild shock. "Wait?! But I…but I can't! I have a Clan to be with. They need me and I have things to do there."

"Really now? Forgive me for this, but from the way I see things, your emotions are mixed with confusion, your body looked at as if you can't do anything properly in the Clan in their eyes. They probably try to deny that you are crippled, but it's a fact that causes them to stay away from you, hiding their shame and pity, not wanting you to be upset," SJ licked Briarlight's head lightly. "Come with me, Briarlight. Maple and I will help you become healthy again. In more ways than one. Plus, it could be fun!"

It was all too much for Briarlight. She shook her head, trying to make herself not believe those so true words of SJ's. Her body was shaking so hard that she had to place her upper body down on the cold snow to keep herself from passing out.

"I…I can't…I need to think…I need some time." She muttered, not knowing if SJ heard any of it.

But the silver she-cat did, and gave a neutral nod. "Very well. I will wait until then for an answer. But we must hurry. I do not want any cat seeing me before the sun rising up late this morning. I'll take you to your Clan." She picked up her pheasant and buried in a small snow pile, implying that she was going to come back with Maple to Moonpool to obtain it later.

Briarlight looked up at the she-cat from hooded eyes, debating if she should go or not. With a numb nod, she pull herself upright again and followed SJ slowly. SJ didn't run ahead of her, not even sighing in annoyance or impatience for Briarlight to pick up the pace. Instead, she walked alongside the bewildered brown she-cat, looking down at her when Briarlight stopped abruptly from time to time.

They hugged the WindClan and ThunderClan border the whole way back, filling Briarlight with worry and fear, whereas SJ didn't so much blink at the border, but still kept her mutual distance of a few pawsteps from it. Briarlight was silent through their walking, the words of Billie, Amy, and now SJ swirling over and over in her mind.

She noticed SJ had stopped walked, so she did as well. Looking up, Briarlight was surprised that they had already reached the bushes as to which she had crawled out of ThunderClan camp. SJ silently backed away, turning in the direction of WindClan and RiverClan.

"She's all the way over there?" Briarlight spoke up finally.

"Yep. Maple said she saw rabbit prints in the snow leading in that direction. More than likely she caught that little varmint." SJ said with a happy chuckle. Her hopeful mood made Briarlight's rise too.

SJ looked back at Briarlight and smiled dearly. "Maple and I will be back every week, Briar. Think about what I said okay? Sometimes it's best to do something out of the ordinary."

The warrior she-cat stared at her for a long time, before giving a single nod in response. "I'll think about it and come to you when I'm ready."

"Good. Then this is goodbye for now," SJ said. She placed her tail on Briarlight's head for a brief moment before pulling away. "I bid you well dreams until our next reunion." With that, she spun and ran off, the only noise being her paws lightly touching the snow covered ground.

Briarlight wished she could wave her tail in farewell, but instead just stared at the departing silver she-cat's form. Heaving a tired sigh, she crawled through the thorn bushes into ThunderClan quietly.

She crawled out of the bushes just as the dark blue night sky started slowly turning a lighter tone of color with the oncoming late sunrise. Briarlight heard the calm, deep snores and sniffles of other cats still sleeping. Not wanting the night patrol SJ and her almost got caught up with to see her awake, she scurried back into the medicine den.

The brown she-cat expected a still sleeping Jayfeather, or he was awakened by her arrival back inside. But her shock, Jayfeather was nowhere to be seen.

"J…Jayfeather?" She called out, the lump of fear wielding up in her throat. She looked around the entire medicine den, but couldn't find the gray tabby tom. Suddenly remembering the obscured noise that she and SJ had heard back in Moonpool made her even more frantic.

_'Where is he?! Where did he go? Please, oh please don't be dead, Jayfeather! Not after I—'_ her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of wet paws padding into the den. Whipping her head around, she gasped happily.

"Jayfeather!" She whispered in high pitch, practically taking him down in a desperate nuzzle. She didn't care that his fur was soaked and freezing to the bone. She could feel his whole form shaking from the cold. She pulled back and glared at him. "Where were you? You scared me!" She growled.

"Ugh…I'm fine. I just…" He didn't finish his sentence because he was shaking so hard. Shaking her head at his incredible stubbornness, Briarlight directed him over to her nest, allowing him to lay down in the soft moss. She placed herself next to him and started drying him off with her tongue.

She knew the feelings that were growing in her stomach were suspiciously wrong to feel, but Briarlight didn't care at this point. Working as almost a medicine cat for the time period after she lost her back legs made her want to make sure Jayfeather was safe and not hurt in any way.

What she didn't know was that her tongue dragging across his back made Jayfeather sigh in bliss, a warmth growing every time she let up to come back down to lick. But it stopped, causing him to look up at her in confusion.

Briarlight stared down at Jayfeather with unmoving eyes, giving him the look that demanded an answer to her unspoken question. He sighed and looked away.

"I was trying to save Flametail."

That threw her off. Blinking rapidly, she tilted her head. "What do you mean? Is…Is Flametail okay?"

His face twisted up in pain and guilt, making Briarlight want to comfort him. He bowed his head and exhaled loudly. "No. Flametail fell through the ice and…drowned."

Cold claws rippled down Briarlight's back, making her shudder lightly. Desperate to cheer him up, she pushed her head down below his and nuzzled his neck in a friendly fashion. "I'm so sorry, Jayfeather. I…wish…"

"I know. I wish too," He sighed, seeking more comfort than he realized in her. She was alive and breathing, warm and there for him now. Folding his ears back, he sighed into her fur tiredly. "I really wished he hadn't been the one to die tonight."

She numbly nodded her head, placing a paw over his. "He's with StarClan now. He's far safer up there than he is here. He walks with his ancestors now, so we should be happy for him, not sad." She muttered softly. Jayfeather didn't response, but still held her close by wrapping his short tail around her body a little.

Briarlight wanted to tell him about the mysterious encounters that she's been having, but again, something told her not to ask him for guidance now. Her gut was telling her to decide this one on her own.

However, at that moment, nothing else matter to them.

* * *

**Annnnddd there you have it! Chapter 5 introduces another new character (unfortunately, it won't stop there XD) and we see something interesting here….-smirks- **

**Tell me how you guys thought the chapter was. I'm also giving a heads up that I won't be uploading a new chapter the next time around. Instead, I'll be editing and re-uploading the other chapters, so that other people who haven't noticed this story before may see it and click on it –shrugs-**

**Until next time~!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Gosh darnit…so tired -_-; I had to edit this chapter heavily, but I think it turned out all right. I'll give you guys the terms at the end to clear up on your confusions.**

**Enjoy~! Read and Review later please!**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 6**

Nearly a moon and a half had passed since that faithful-turned-sorrowful night, and things—not surprisingly—went back to as normal as they could get in ThunderClan. Briarlight still kept her mouth shut about everything that had happened behind ThunderClan's back. Firestar hadn't suspected anything about her being out of the camp that night; not even Jayfeather mentioned something about it. She suspected that he had woken up and not paid attention to where she had gone off to.

A sunny leafbare morning was how her day started. She did her morning exercise and play with the kits, still remembering how they were jumping up and down that they only had a moon left of being kits and they would be apprentices soon. They would question her with who they would get as mentors, to which she would reply that it could be anyone.

Dovepaw and Ivypaw were having their warrior assessment with Lionblaze and Foxleap, heading out into the deeper parts of ThunderClan's forest. Jayfeather was checking up on her legs and back after she had arrived back from her morning duties with the kits. She pressed her head further into her moss nest when she didn't feel his paws squeezing down on her back legs. It angered her that she still couldn't move them, no matter how hard she tried.

As he did his examination, she closed her eyes and sighed tiredly. "Why do I keep going on if I can't even do something right, Jayfeather? I feel such a burden…"

"Quit saying that. You've been doing far better than most cats would be in if they were in your position," He said curtly, but kindness was faintly in his words. "I know if I was crippled and blind, I wouldn't be able to go on."

"Nonsense! You're an amazing tom, Jayfeather. Probably one of the best medicine cats ever. You've endured probably more than most should." She said the last part softly, feeling heat rise up to her neck and face.

Jayfeather cleared his throat and pulled away from her legs, not that she noticed it anyways. "Let's get some more coltsfoot into you, 'kay? That ginger really helped you for a long time." He said as he got the herbs ready for her.

"Yeah. I'm glad B—I found it when I did." She caught herself almost saying Billie's name. That would bust her secret big time.

Luckily, Jayfeather didn't notice her potential mess up and just nodded in agreement. With a push of his paw, he handed her the coltsfoot. "Here, it's one of the last I have stored."

She gave him her thanks and ate up the bitter herbs, swallowing it with a little trouble as always.

"Get some rest now, okay?" He directed sternly. "I'm heading out to collect more herbs."

She giggled. "Yes, sir." She said with a goofy smile as he left the den yet again.

Letting out a big yawn, she nuzzled further into her nest, hoping to get some rest. After the meeting with SJ, she couldn't quite get the sleep she needed or even wanted during the night, causing her to fall asleep during the day after her exercises. She thought it was something she could grow out of, but she hasn't since that upturning night.

Briarlight wished—on often occasions—for a chance to go and see SJ again, possibly meet her sister Maple too. But she was still thinking about the choice she had about leaving ThunderClan.

Try as she might, she couldn't stop worrying and wondering together about Amy's sudden disappearance. More than likely, she believed, that Billie convinced her to leave Briarlight alone. But, despite the harsh insults and commands Amy had even her, Briarlight actually missed the tortoiseshell dearly. Billie too.

Blowing air through her nose, she closed her eyes and drifted into a light slumber for the morning.

.

.

Briarlight awoke almost a heartbeat later, only she knew that she was asleep and in her dreampaws again. Looking down, she saw her form sleeping in her nest still, her breathing slow and deep. Smiling, she turned away and walked through the secret passageway unnecessarily. With gleeful paws, Briarlight rushed through the bushes, happy to feel free again from the tension that seemed to keep growing thicker in the camp.

The clearing was still snow-covered, but the sun glared down on the growing early sunhigh day. She saw two forms appear out of the forest, but quickly slithered into the bare territory. She realized that they were Icecloud and Dovepaw, more than likely doing tracking as Dovepaw's assessment.

Briarlight walked in the direction of them, hoping that, though in her dreampaws, she could get a glimpse of what they were doing. In her dreampaws, she considered that they couldn't see her, since they couldn't see Billie or Amy whenever they would appear in ThunderClan camp.

The trees high above her head were naked in the sky, the only things covering their eerie branches was the snow that continued to fall daintily from the clouds_. 'StarClan, this oughta be an interesting assessment for Dovepaw and Ivypaw,' _She thought. _'At least they got the chance to show themselves.' _

A low rattling chirp echoed through the air. Briarlight took a moment to think over what it really came from. When it sounded again, it was coming closer. Then it hit her.

_'It's a pheasant! Like the one SJ killed!' _She gasped mentally. Looking around, she spotted the same bird form come into view. However, she noticed how its feathers were just dull brown colors and not as nearly as breathtaking as the one she witness be caught on that night. _'This must be a she-bird.' _She guessed.

The brown pheasant stopped pecking at the ground in search of nuts or frozen berries and snapped her head up, staring seemingly at Briarlight. She cocked her head side to side, as if debating whether or not Briarlight's dreampaws was actually real.

_'How can she even see me? I'm more like a spirit in this state.' _She thought.

Heartbeats passed, and neither one of them moved in that time. At her wits end, Briarlight went to turn around and walk away to find the others, when the pheasant moved away first. She looked over her shoulder, like she expected something out of Briarlight, and walked off, suddenly not interested in pecking for food. When she was almost out of view, the pheasant did the same gesture, as if waiting for Briarlight to actually follow her.

Excited yet confused, the brown she-cat did so, catching up to the pheasant easily. Crazy as it seemed, Briarlight again felt the urge to understand more about what was going on. To understand more about herself.

They walked a distance apart but still together for several tree-lengths, till Briarlight thought they had intruded into ShadowClan territory. Oddly enough, she didn't smell their scents, indicating that they were in fact still on her Clan's territory still. But they were close to the border, for Briarlight could see, off in the distance, the Twoleg Path leading over to the Halfbridge. The pheasant moved northward, towards where Jayfeather mentioned the beavers' dam used to be.

The pheasant stopped at the Clearing, looking around in case of any predators. _'She must be older than most pheasants, must've survived longer too.'_ Briarlight thought with admiration. She used to think prey were stupid and had no brains; but then she remembered the first time she failed to catch a squirrel to show Thornclaw. That changed her perspective later on.

The she-bird walked to the right, straight into an abrupt thicket of trees. Keeping up, Briarlight saw a large collection of bushes circled into one place. The pheasant looked at her again it seemed, before dipping into the protection of the bushes. Briarlight, on the other paw, just walked through it, not feeling the stinging of the sharp thorns. She broke into the middle to find a sight of sheer surprise.

Usually birds laid their eggs during the early newleaf, maybe into the Greenleaf season. But no, this pheasant had a fresh set already hatched, and all six little chicks were snuggled comfortably around each other and against their mother's warmth too.

The female pheasant cooed to her baby chicklings, checking each one to see if any had been injured by the thorns. She ruffled her feathers, sending a few in the air and down into the nest. Somehow, a single but unusually large maple leaf and a little purple flower, a _briar flower_ to be precise, laid beside the pheasant's body, accompanied by a single silver feather.

The impact of realization was so strong that Briarlight stumbled back, away from the nest, staring wide eyed at the pheasant mother. She draped one wing over her chicks and they buried themselves under her stomach, where it was warmest.

Everything around Briarlight seemed to mystify, going from clear to all blur and unable to decipher what was what. Closing her eyes to wash out the dizziness that swept through her, she inhaled slowly and exhaled deeply.

_"Now do you understand?"_

The warrior she-cat whirled around and gasped. "A-Amy!" She squeaked.

"You _can't_ do this alone," The tortoiseshell said, her voice blending into the breeze. "You must protect your Clan, but only by doing the right thing."

"But what is the right decision? The one that's obeying the law of the warrior code?" She pleaded.

But the she-cat merely shook her head. "In my lives, I've lived by this rule too; some things you just have to break rules to protect the ones you endear most. You…" Her voice stopped, but her mouth kept speaking unheard words. The landscape started swirling around rapidly, overcoming Briarlight fast.

"Wait! P-Please, don't go…Come…back…" She hoarsely called out. The next thing she knew was darkness enveloped her.

.

.

Briarlight gasped in fear, snapping upright on her forepaws. She looked around to find Jayfeather gone still and the Clan bustling outside about something. Stiffly, she crawled over to the den entrance to find Icecloud leaning on Berrynose as she hobbled towards the medicine den.

"Icecloud! What happened?" She asked hastily. The white she-cat laughed nervously.

"Well…I might have gotten a little hurt. I fell into a hole and, I'm telling you, the whole Clan came to help me. It took a while, but Dovepaw is who I should be thanking the most," She explained. Briarlight couldn't help but giggle at the slip up that Icecloud did. "I'm staying with you for now."

"You could've broken your back just like what had happened to Briarlight, Icecloud." Berrynose said, dropping into the medicine den once Icecloud was situated in the extra nest.

"You realize that Briarlight is right there, Berrynose?" Brightheart trotted in, glaring at the cream tom with her one eye.

Hurt a little by Berrynose's comment, Briarlight shrugged. "It's nothing, guys. Besides, this means Icecloud will be my denmate until she gets better." She said excitedly, knowing that she would've been jumping up and down by now if her back legs worked.

"Yeah! That'll keep us both entertained." Icecloud said with a laugh.

As the two she-cats chatted excitedly, Jayfeather came bustling in, a little out of breath. Even if he was blind, Briarlight knew that as he stared in Icecloud's direction, he could "see" with his other senses on what had happened.

"I heard," He stated simply. "And that was very careless of you, Icecloud."

Folding her ears back, Icecloud ducked her head down in embarrassment. "You didn't have to say it out loud like that, Jayfeather." She mumbled quietly. Briarlight stifled a giggle. Jayfeather was always to the point in a conversation.

_'Most of the time.'_ She placed in mentally.

Jayfeather didn't respond to Brightheart for several heartbeats, his main focus being on his newest patient. He placed a paw on Icecloud's bad shoulder, causing the white she-cat to wince, which was followed by a moan of pain.

"Yep, you'd dislocated your shoulder after that fall, Icecloud," He announced grimly. Briarlight watched with keen interest. Despite being a warrior, helping as a part-time medicine cat had its ideals. Jayfeather placed one paw on Icecloud's back and snapped her shoulder back in place, though not without making the white she-cat cry out in pain. "You'll need to stay here for several sunrises until it's not as swollen and bruised. You may have a slight limp for another few more sunrises afterwards."

"Aw!" Icecloud whined. "Does that mean I have to hold up on my warrior duties?"

"Yes." Was the response from Jayfeather, Brightheart, and Berrynose together. Briarlight couldn't stop herself from laughing at their stern answers. Icecloud merely sighed and grumbled something incoherently under her breath.

"Berrynose!" Poppyfrost's yowl came from outside. The cream tom nodded his thanks to Jayfeather and Brightheart before disappearing from view.

"Would all cats old enough to hunt come for a Clan meeting!" Firestar's fierce call spread throughout the camp. Despite Jayfeather's protests, Icecloud got up and was hobbling out of the medicine den with Brightheart following her in pursuit. With a frustrated sigh, Jayfeather went to leave but stopped. Briarlight didn't move from her spot, but instead peered out from the entrance of the den, watching as each warrior cat grouped near Highledge. A feeling of sadness pooled in her stomach, making her feel heavier. Her warrior ceremony had been different, even if Firestar never said so. In the course of her injury, Briarlight thought she was not fit enough to receive her name.

But he had given it to her, saying the same thing as Jayfeather mentioned to her. She had endured the pain and stood proud in spite of it.

"Are you coming?" Jayfeather's voice broke her train of thought. She saw him waiting for her, shifting on his paws like he was impatient.

With a happy smile, she dragged herself towards him and out to the clearing of camp. Everyone was bustling with eagerness, talking about things Briarlight had no care for at the moment. From the corner of the eye, she saw Dovepaw and Ivypaw standing nervously by Lionblaze, Millie, Cinderheart, and Spiderleg. She spotted Lionblaze giving Cinderheart a calm look, but something told Briarlight it was more than just a friendly glance.

As Spiderleg and Millie gave their point of view on Dovepaw and Ivypaw's assessment, Briarlight glanced around, seeing if anything was out of sort. The wind blew restlessly in the frigid cold, making her shudder and wish to be back in the secure warmth of the medicine den.

_"You should be focusing more on your Clanmates."_ A voice of chilling annoyance echoed in the air.

"You say something Jayfeather?" She whispered curiously. He looked at her, his face turning into one of confusion.

"No, I didn't. Now hush up so that we can hear the ceremony." He said back, turning to face away from her again.

_'Huh, I could've sworn he said—'_

_"And here I thought you would've figured out who was who, kit."_ A scoff sounded again, clearly indicated only for Briarlight. She noticed that no other cat seemed to be curious as to who it could be. But now, Briarlight pushed it away and concentrated in listening more to Firestar.

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in return," He paused, looking down at both she-cat sisters. "Ivypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Ivypaw said with a nod.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Ivypaw, from this moment you will be known as Ivypool. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.

"Ivypool! Ivypool!"

When everyone became quiet again, Firestar continued, waiting as Dovepaw came up to him.

"Dovepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." She said.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dovepaw, from this moment you will be known as Dovewing. StarClan honors your enterprise and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Dovewing! Dovewing!" Everyone yowled happily.

"Let us honor these new warriors, my Clan!"

"Dovewing! Ivypool! Dovewing! Ivypool!" The whole Clan chanted happily. Briarlight shouted at the top of her lungs in congrats of their new names with the Clan.

As the cats broke apart, going towards Dovewing and Ivypool in hopes of giving their words of congrats too, Jayfeather nudged Briarlight and pointed with his tail back towards the medicine den. With a defeated sigh, she obeyed orders and headed back inside.

She smiled at Icecloud as she limped back in, laying across from her and eager to talk. Jayfeather came in as well, but instead went behind Briarlight's legs.

The brown warrior didn't know what he was doing until the tom spoke up. "Can you feel this, Briarlight?" He asked.

When she realized what he was doing, which was poking her legs with a claw, she sagged her shoulders and laid deeper in her nest. "No. That tells me they aren't going to get better anytime soon." She said begrudgingly.

She glanced back as he shook his head, his blue eyes staring ahead of him. "That's not true, Briarlight, so stop saying such things. You're getting stronger every day you breathe. Like I said before, you have more strength than I do. Probably than the entire Clan." He placed in quietly.

Touched by his words of encouragement, Briarlight felt her face heat up. She looked away and kneaded the mossy nest.

"I want to hunt!" Icecloud whined suddenly, giving a loud huff as she laid more restlessly in her own nest. "How do you do it, Briarlight? Staying in this den for so long, not doing anything?"

Briarlight chuckled. "Well, I'm actually out more thanks to the new games Cherrykit and Molekit have created. They keep us all entertained and—even better—tire them out so they can take their naps easier. I've gotten pretty good at them, I guess. Sometimes it's okay relaxing and doing nothing."

"But I want to do something! I don't want to be another mouth to feed and not do anything about it." Icecloud huffed. Briarlight felt another swipe of pain and guilt go through her.

Jayfeather actually glared at the white she-cat, having the look of annoyance and disappointment showing.

"That wasn't very nice of you Icecloud. Perhaps you should apologize for saying such a thing in front of Briarlight." Brightheart scowled with her one eye.

Realizing what she had done, Icecloud bowed her head in shame. "Sorry Briarlight." She muttered.

Briarlight placed on a fake smile and shrugged it off. "It's okay, Icecloud. I don't hold grudges like that for long." She said with a light-hearted giggle. That seemed to bring Icecloud out of her embarrassment. Briarlight glanced back. "Is it okay if I can teach some exercises to Icecloud to heal her legs up better, Jayfeather?"

She waited as Jayfeather thought it over quietly, seeing him indicate his movements over to Icecloud as he continued to test Briarlight's hindquarters. Then he gave a firm shake of his head. "No, it would be too risky for her. Plus her legs appear very sore from all the walking she's doing now." He said, his voice sounded abruptly distance to the conversation they were trying to have.

While he was off in his thoughts, Briarlight scooted away and grabbed her moss ball, tossing it over to Icecloud. "Here. We can play with this without doing some serious walking. Catch!" She swiped it roughly, watching as it flew into the air. Icecloud tipped upwards and caught it in her mouth. Laughing gleefully, she dropped it and swat it back. Soon it was like a game of catch with the moss ball, tossing it in and out of their reach points.

When Briarlight batted it a little too roughly, she winced when Icecloud jumped up and came down, yelping when the pain shot up her leg suddenly. That brought the attention of Jayfeather and Brightheart to them, resulting in a duo of scowling from them. "You two better settle down," Brightheart started, a flick of a smile itching on her mouth. "Or Icecloud will be in here till greenleaf. Do you want that, Icecloud?"

"StarClan no! I'll get bored too easily!" The white warrior quickly injected, making Briarlight laugh again.

When they calmed down, Jayfeather got up and headed for the entrance, confusing the brown she-cat. "H-Hey! Jayfeather, where are you going?"

"Out." He stated simply.

Flinching back, she mumbled, "Oh. O-Okay. Can I co—"

"No. You stay here and rest up more. Brightheart, give her some more coltsfoot while I'm out. I need to…go and check up on the catmint herbs up at the abandoned Twoleg house."

"Oh," she said again. "Alright. Be careful Jayfeather." Briarlight saw him stop for a heartbeat, but shrugged whatever was on his mind and walked out. A part of her was jealous and complaining that she couldn't go anywhere outside the camp without either getting in trouble, or sneaking out and feeling as if she will be in trouble. But another part of her was saying she needed to rest up and get ready for another series of exercises later on.

Then there was one, slit-claw part of her that felt…rejected. And she didn't know why she had this feeling inside of her.

Heaving a sigh, Briarlight said nothing more and silence fell over the den, with the exception of the two she-cats' breathing.

"Um…" Icecloud started, looking a little embarrassed. "Is it alright if I go to the warrior's den to sleep tonight, Briarlight? Not that sleeping here would be bad. I just…want to be in a place that I'm used to."

She smiled and nodded numbly. "Go ahead. Just make sure that you don't move on your bad leg till it gets better, okay?"

"Sure thing!" By that moment, Icecloud was almost out of the den already. Brightheart was shaking her head and smiling.  
"That cat. She has the energy still of a kitten," She said as she collected a few coltsfoot together and pushed them towards Briarlight. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Quickly, Briarlight chewed down the bitter herbs, hoping not to taste as much today.

"I'm going to get something to eat, dear. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks. I'm good for now." She replied kindly. Brightheart left without another word but giving a flick of her bushy tail.

_"About time they left!"_ An exasperated sigh came from the stocked herbs. Briarlight smiled happily.

"Good to see you again, Amy. I think." She mumbled quietly, hoping not to catch any attention again.

"Hmm," The tortoiseshell simply snorted. "I see you are in a bit of a pickle. And it's only going to get worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Not my rightful saying, kit. Soon or later, maybe I'll say something. But not now." She said ruefully. Amy sat across from Briarlight as the brown she-cat turned fully to her.

"Why did you disappear for so long, Amy? I was worried on some days. Plus…it was nice having your smart tongue around. Almost better than Jayfeather."

Amy laughed loudly, and had she been alive, the whole Clan would've heard her voice. Then she shook her head, showing a bitter smile. "I'm nothing compared to Jayfeather, squirt. I'm my own self and no better than the ground itself on some days. You and every other living creature, both seen and unseen by the eyes of us cats."

"That's another thing I miss. You may be just as sour as Mousefur on a bad day, but you hold invaluable words." Briarlight conjured. They both laughed. Even though Briarlight was being as honest as her loyalty to the Clan, she knew Amy had her doubtful thoughts.

A white firefly flew into her line of view, startling her momentarily. "Hey, what's this firefly doing out so early? It's not even sunset yet." Briarlight said curiously.

"That's not a firefly, kit," Amy bluntly answered. "That's a soul. The soul of a cat."

Baffled, Briarlight watched as the orb filled out to be an off-white cat with sightless white eyes. Scared a little, she began backing up but stopped upon noticing the cat just looking at her with an expressionless gaze.

And yet it felt like the cat was piercing right to her own soul, her heart and emotions.

"Don't be too startled or afraid, kit," Amy spoke up calmly. "These cats cannot and will not lay a single claw on your pelt."

"Because they're dead?" She asked, receiving cold glare.

"No, stupid. I told them not to. The same goes for every other dead cat that I know in their group. They listen to their own set of quiet and solitary rules, but have a leader that makes sure to help them along the way."

"Why? Are they just lone souls that travel about the lands?" She asked, still staring at the blank spirit cat, being to the point of almost complete transparency, as it stalked carefully around the medicine den. She guessed it was a tom, for he had the muscle appearance of one, and held the posture of one too. Strong, but quiet and avoiding trouble.

Amy shook her head again. "Nope. These cats were killed. Several of them that I have met bear their final scars of battle, and more than one fought for the hope of food and shelter," She looked away from Briarlight, staring outside with a bitter frown, like she had eaten crowfood. "Sometimes it pains me to no end to see these cats, these simple creatures, get killed just because they had stepped on the wrong territory and got caught."

"But shouldn't they know about the cats that live in an area and some boundary issues?"

Amy shot a hot glare at her before looking away again. "Yeah, sure, and you should know every step of the life outside of the Clans? How would you feel if you were in their place, half-starving, just looking for a place to sleep, and you have to be thrown out just because you were on the wrong territory? Or perhaps they were possibly murdered just because," She left a pause, not paying attention to the tom cat still prowling around quietly of the den. "Someone had to help them understand that those cats were afraid, angry, and over confident in several parts of life."

"But why are you here? You don't look like the kind of cat that would just end up here at the lake territo—I mean terrain." Briarlight said. Amy bowed her head, looking suddenly younger, a kit practically. A kit lost in an unknown world of questions and no answers.

Just like her almost.

"Believe me when I say I've asked that hundreds of times. More times than I can count ever." Was all she said.

"So who leads these cats and you? Was he also a loner?"

"That's none of your business, kit!" Amy reeled on Briarlight abruptly, scaring her yet again. "Keep ya paws out of my business! It'll do you better not to know."

Briarlight growled, fur bristling. "Yeah, well, holding things back doesn't help at all. Stop being angry at me for no reason, she-cat!" She hissed. It was horrifying enough to cause the whitish tom spirit cat to vanish completely. But Amy still stayed, her form less and less transparent, till she looked almost alive and breathing in front of her, not dead and long past Briarlight's age.

"I did nothing to you and yet you still throw your anger out at me! What did I do to get that? Huh!?"

That seemed to snap Amy back to her senses far worse than what had happened with her and Billie. With a breath, she nearly disappeared from Briarlight's view, looking horrified. She looked down, eyes wide and disbelieving, her shoulders shaking unknowingly.

"…You're right…What's done is done…_as always_…" Amy whispered, face clenching up. Before Briarlight would ask what she meant, the tortoiseshell vanished from her sight.

"Amy…what's got into you?" Briarlight said mournfully. It pained her to see a unique friend so confused and awkwardly accusing nonsense on other cats.

Jayfeather limped in, though he clearly wasn't hurt. His once pale gray tabby pelt now was covered head to tail with muck and dirt. Briarlight couldn't contain her laughter, which caused him to growl at her. "Laugh all you want, Briarlight. Then tell me how you would feel walking around practically blind in the rain with only your brother there to help."

That caused her to look outside. Surely enough, droplets of rain fell heavily from the sky, indicating that Leafbare was coming to its end soon. The snow on the ground was wetted down by the rain, giving it a dull look.

Seeing Jayfeather shivering slightly, Briarlight crawled over to him. "Let me help you."

"I'm fine." He replied sharply. Frowning at him, she didn't listen and tackled him to the ground, pinning him with her powerful forepaws. He struggled only momentarily until she started grooming his fur neatly.

"That wasn't a request, Jayfeather. Just let me help you for once, you cranky tom." Muffled by his fur and her grooming, Briarlight giggled. She felt the tom grunt in defeat and cease his movements. When she reached his neck to groom, she felt his body vibrate softly.

Jayfeather was purring again.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"I'm not holding it against you. I probably won't ever."

As she continued her licking, she felt him sag against her, his breathing slowing till she knew he had fallen asleep. The brown she-cat couldn't help but admire the way he slept. He was still so rigid in his dreams, like he couldn't catch a breath of peace if it swatted him in the face. He was a medicine cat, constantly on duty. She remembered vaguely when he was still being mentored under Leafpool, who had treated him like a mother would to her son.

Too bad it was scary to find out that she was really his own biological mother.

Movement from her left got her attention. Briarlight looked to see the same off-white tom sitting a few fox-lengths away, staring at her with those unblinking eyes. She nodded her head at him kindly, and frowned when another cat, this one being much smaller; more than likely a she-kit.

But instead of the whitish tint the tom gave off, the kit was a rich black, glaring at Briarlight with white eyes. It gave her cold shivers.

"Um…h-hello." She greeted.

The little kit hissed menacingly, scaring Briarlight. The little black kit arched her back in front of the white tom, puffing out her fur till she almost looked completely round.

"Leave Mama alone!" She snarled. "You hear me?"

"That's enough, Little One." The tom spoke up. He spoke with a deep rumble, so deep Briarlight thought it had been a low growl of warning.

"Big One, can't you see that she's making Mama angry all over again? Her and that Old One!"

_'Do they mean me and…Billie?'_ Briarlight thought.

"Do not get everything mixed up, Little One. The answer isn't in anger." The tom replied calmly.

"But—" the she-kit was stopped by something in his gaze. Briarlight couldn't see it, but the kit obviously could, and it silenced her.

The white cat looked at Briarlight again. "Be careful, Live One. The male is leaving soon."

"Who?" She questioned. The tom simply nodded his head down. She looked at Jayfeather. "W-What do you mean he's leaving?"

"He has his own quest, Live One, as do you."

"Why does everyone think that saying those kind of things will make me leave my Clan?"

"I speak not of words of force, but words of urgency. The lake is dying. _We _are dying."

Briarlight's eyes widened even more. "W-What?"

"The lake is dying, Live One, as are we," He explained slowly. "The Dead Ones are scared. _We_ are scared, and there's nothing the Lead One can do."

"But Mama said she could find a solution for us!" The Little One protested.

"She has tried, but it is proving futile. _She_ isn't choosing, and it's affecting everything, both with the Live Ones and the Dead Ones, Little One." He nodded his head at Briarlight this time. "That is why she's so frustrated. The Live One is unknowingly choosing wrong."

"I thought I could choose my own destiny, you two." Briarlight growled quietly, making sure Jayfeather wouldn't awaken yet.

The white tom shook his head. "You are, but it's changing the course, even if it may not seem so to you. You are blinded with false truths, and the only one that is true is the same one that will heal you forever."

"You mean my legs? But—"

"Oh, Big One, can't you see?! She's so stupid, the Live One can't even think straight no more! She's nothing to us and she's not helping."

"Hush, Little One." The she-kit did so, but continued to give Briarlight a cold shiver down her spine.

"Little One may be right, as are all the other Big Ones. But I believe that you can help us, help yourself, Live One."

"By leaving the Clan and my home?" Briarlight bitterly suggested.

The tom nodded slowly, not looking in the least amused by her guesses. "Be angered all you want, Live One, but I do not choose your fate, nor of my companions. We chose for ourselves with the gift of guidance from all." He said. Big One and Little One started dissipating into air.

"Wait!" Briarlight cried out. "Before you leave, tell me! When do Maple and SJ come back? How much time do I have left before I must decide?"

"The time is short, smaller than my paw, fool." Little One said eerily.

"But your friends will be here once the Bright Moon is at its fullest." Big One finished. And just like Amy, they too had vanished.

"Fox-breath! Everything's so messed up." She growled. Hearing the sound of twitching, she turned to see Jayfeather moving roughly in his sleep. She tried to wake him with a paw, but it proved useless. Grabbing a twig, she started poking at his side hard with it.

He snapped awake, panting a little. "Are you okay, Jayfeather?" She asked.

Jayfeather pushed away from her and got up, not even taking the time to stretch and instead headed for the entrance of the den. "I'll be back."

"Jayfeather—" She didn't get a chance to protest as he left her behind. "What nerve he has to do that!" Hissing, she crawled over to the entrance and saw him talking in rush to Lionblaze. She knew almost immediately that it was something important, for the golden tom's expression changed to amazement; or shocked.

The words of the white tom came back to haunt her.

_'You are blinded with false truths, and the only one that is true is the same one that will heal you forever.'_

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**Okay! The reason I didn't bold the newer terms is because it's easier explaining this new "group" both you guys and Briarlight have witnessed thoroughly here.**

**The ****Lead One**** is obviously the leader of this group Amy has mentioned. There is only ONE Lead One, his/her name is rarely—if ever—mentioned to anyone to keep their identity safe. The ****Big Ones**** are cats between the ages of young adults to senior adults, but not quite elders yet. The "elders" of the group (which there are few) are called ****Old Ones**, **and actually stayed old after dying because that was when they were the happiest. ****Little Ones**** are the kits, the youngest of the group that were killed/died either born or early into their lives. **

**Yes I know it sounds extremely cruel that you see the word "killed" in there, but in time, that will pay a vital role in how the group came to be. As well as their problems at paw…**

**Review on how you like it so far; any questions, please ask via either Private Messaging or Review! :)**

**Until next time~ -falls asleep in exhaustion-**


	8. Chapter 7

**I sincerely apologize for my absence! I simply forgot and had a bit of writer's block, so I constantly didn't feel like editing and putting up another chapter -_-; SORRY! **

**As a point proving my apologies, this'll be another 2-chapter submission of Briarlight's Cure :D **

**I must advise you all to ****carefully**** read over this chapter around the end point of it. A certain cat starts speaking in what I like to call "old language". Some of you might not get this, others might, that's okay. But the words he says are more poetic I guess (-shrugs-) and metaphoric.**

**Hope ya'll enjoy these two chapters~! Oh! And please review your questions, likeness so far of the chapter, etc. if you want to :)**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 7**

"Y-You're leaving?" Briarlight gasped, her chest clenching up painfully. "W-Why?"

"I had a vision. Something to do with the Tribe," Jayfeather said as he gathered small amounts of sorrel, daisy, chamomile, and burnet. He used his teeth to secure the wrappings around them, creating four little individual mounds to carry. "I've requested this to Firestar and he accepts. He has given me a small group to come with."

She wanted to yowl in urgency to go with him, but she instantly knew what his answer would've been. Sometimes, Briarlight believed he said no at everything she tried doing because he cared and wanted to make sure she was safe from harm. But, on more than one occasion, did she think that he said it so coldly to her because he just wanted her to leave him alone and not do anything except her routine life. It pained her so much, like he was tearing her into bits from the inside out.

And yet Briarlight didn't know why she felt this way.

"Brightheart will watch over you while I am gone, understand?"

"But what about Leafpool?" She asked suddenly. "Don't you think she could help in taking over your position for ThunderClan while you're gone? She _was_ the medicine cat before you."

Almost a heartbeat later and Briarlight regretted saying those words. Seeing his shoulders tense up fast made her duck in shame and fear of a snap from his mouth. But instead, he took several breaths and calmed down, letting out heavy sigh after sigh.

_"He still distrusts his own mother? How can any cat stoop so low?"_ Amy's annoyed hiss came from behind her. After what had happened the previous night, Briarlight had expected Amy not to visit her again. But she did upon waking up from the sunrise.

"I'll…" He paused, before sagging in defeat. "I'll mention it to her." He tried to sound optimistic, however Briarlight could easily make out the anger in his voice.

Jayfeather didn't speak to her again, but did stand up and walked out.

_"A pity as always when it comes to useless and unnecessary codes such as yours."_ Amy said eerily. Briarlight felt her dissipate into nothing next to her.

The tortoiseshell she-cat didn't talk to her for the rest of the day.

The day of Jayfeather's departure was upsetting, nerve-racking, and awkward; but Briarlight forced herself to perk up in order to give him a proper and happy farewell. He had looked tired, but he also seemed to want to say something to her. He never did. Alongside him to the mountains had been Foxleap, Squirrelflight, and Dovewing. Lionblaze had given his regards, showing the brotherly concern on his words. Ivypool appeared disappointed—mad almost—at Dovewing once they had left the camp.

Like she wanted to go with and it wasn't fair.

_'Don't I know that.'_ Briarlight thought, lying in her nest quietly.

She had been happy to know that Leafpool and Brightheart would be watching over the den. The brown she-cat knew Leafpool had missed her job, because she immediately started checking up on herbs, a smile plastered on her face during the whole time. She had even looked over Icecloud numerous times during the day, giddy like a kitten at old memories.

But then Briarlight remembered the cold rejection that Jayfeather and Lionblaze had given to Leafpool and her sister, Squirrelflight. It was aggravating to see such devoted she-cats—whom Briarlight believed they had done the right thing for the brothers—be thrown under the dirt so abruptly by nearly everyone.

Leafpool was checking over Icecloud's injury again, sniffing and pressing a paw continuously down on it, testing its strength. Briarlight admired her determination to keep going. It gave her a sense of pride in herself.

_"What are you thinking about, kit?" _A stubborn voice intervened her observation. Soon, Amy's form shifted in front of Briarlight. The she-cat looked at Leafpool for a moment, seeming intrigued at her examination. Amy stared again at Briarlight. "Well?"

The brown she-cat sighed helplessly. "I don't know; everything I guess. The Clan. Jayfeather leaving. His attitude towards both Leafpool and Squirrelflight. Towards me. My destiny. What must I do to prove myself as a better cat. You know, the usual." Briarlight couldn't stop the shot of sarcasm entering her voice the more she spoke.

"Tough luck, as I say, Briar," Amy countered. "You and this whole lot of Clans think and act _way_ too much for your own skin hide. I thought ya'll were supposed to live life to its fullest. At least, that's what I'm trying to pick up."

A smile came across Briarlight's face. _'At least she'll be of entertainment for now.'_

She didn't know if Amy remembered yesterday's incident—more than likely she did—but Briarlight couldn't help but feel enjoyment in an outsider like the tortoiseshell. It brought a sense of amazing knowledge to her.

"So have you decided yet?"

"Huh?" Briarlight asked innocently, in which made her receive a hard cuff to the ear. She held in a hiss of pain.

"Stupid, I mean about your decision in leaving. If ya ask me, there's a large pawful opportunity laying right in front of your nose," Amy paused, watching as Briarlight furrowed her eyes till they were slits, lost in deep thought. Her frown deepened. "Look, it may be a hard choice, but it's helping not only you, but hopefully the Clan too. It will save ThunderClan, your life and home. What more can I say to you?"

The urgency in Amy's voice made Briarlight look at her. She appeared dimmer, far more than she had been all the other times she met with Briarlight, to a point where she was completely transparent. Guilt swam in her eyes, making her almost a totally different cat.

Briarlight pulled from her gaze. "G-Give me till tonight." Was all she said.

The air grew silent, surprising her. A cold front laid over her body, making her realize that Amy was gone again.

Leafpool came over to Briarlight, mouth full of dried coltsfoot. Setting them down, she gave the brown she-cat a smile. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Good." Although she didn't sound close to it. Leafpool frowned.

"What's wrong, Briarlight? You have a bad dream?"

Briarlight was quiet for many heartbeats, staring back at the rocky wall of the cave. Sighing, she spoke; "If you had to go somewhere far from here, or betray the code in order to protect someone important to you or the sake of other cats, Leafpool, what would you do?"

"Where in the name of StarClan is this coming from?" Leafpool questioned, keeping her voice soft and calm.

"I-I'm just wondering. Have you ever thought of that before?" Briarlight winced when there was a pause. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound suspicious, Leafpool."

"No, you're fine. What would I do, you ask? …I would listen to my heart; if not, then my gut. It takes a great pawleap of courage to do something so sacrificing, potentially risking your own life. I know Squirrelflight and…Brambleclaw and the other cats who journeyed here first must've felt that way too. And I know personally what it's like to do something to protect others."

Briarlight knew she was talking about how she tried to protect her kits, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf, from the fact that she was their blood-mother. In the end, it caused one to die.

"Thank you for the advice, Leafpool. I…It helps me."

Leafpool gave her a suspicious look. "Briarlight, you have to understand that no one is holding you back from your choices. Yes, some may seem mad at whatever you do, but it's all up to you. How you believe in yourself, others, and your soul." She explained. Briarlight simply nodded, not focusing on her anymore. Smiling softly, the former medicine cat turned and left the den.

_'Believe in your heart, huh?'_ Briarlight pondered. Suddenly she felt tired, and couldn't stop her eyes from drifting shut.

"… … …"

Something was close. Something she couldn't see in the fog shrouding in thick layers all around her. It scared her.

"…Is…her?" Words so quiet and eerie echoed almost soundlessly in the air. Briarlight sat upright, trying to shake the drowsiness from her mind. She shivered, not liking the cold claws of terror raking down her spine. Her tail swished to and fro, itching her to jump up and run from wherever she was now.

"Is that…her?"

"Could she be the curse?"

"What if she's an omen to us? To our newfound forced lives?"

"A Live One shouldn't be here! This is our place, our _protection_!"

The voices grew louder and louder, till it was the only thing ringing in her brain. Briarlight frantically searched for cat forms, but only heard the irritated, terrified, and curious hisses.

Something landed on her shoulder. Instinctively, she whipped around and jumped away, bracing herself for a fight.

"Do not fret, Live One. It is only I."

Briarlight recognized the voice. Soon, a white Big One appeared, no emotions readable on his face. "Wha-What are you doing here? Where am I? Am I in StarClan? Or the Meadow?"

"Neither, Live One. You're in Nothingness." He stated firmly.

The claws sunk deeper, becoming colder with every terrified breath she took. "N-N-Nothingness? What is that?"

"It is us. It is our home and part of who we are now."

"S-So why am I here?" Her eyes widened till they were fully round like river rocks. "A-Am I nothing? Nothing important like cats have been telling me?"

He shook his head. "No, Live One. If you were, then neither I nor Little One would've come and requested your help."

Briarlight let out a breath of sudden relief. She took several more in order to calm her heart, pounding furiously against her chest. "I'm so confused right now."

"Then let me show you and explain, Live One." Though nothing showed on his face, Briarlight thought she could hear an amused smile in his voice. She got up and strolled next to him, though it was hard considering he almost perfectly blended in with the fog. He must've sensed her overwhelmed curiosity, because he began speaking.

"Nothingness is the home of cats who've perished in the claws of other cats, lost souls that are trapped within the confinements of this last hope of protection. We are, obviously, nothing to other Dead Ones. Not to your StarClan, not to the Meadow. We seek very little from the other places, fearing that we will be killed once more… We rarely, if ever, intervene with the Living Ones, such as you. And yet, we care for the recently lost Dead Ones, guiding them to this shelter of ours.

"In Nothingness, the season changes, unlike your StarClan or the Meadow, and we are more susceptible to death again, whether it be from murder again or natural causes. They have to be killed in order to die off again; When we die again, we become more of Nothingness itself, lost for eternity."

"That sounds like endless torture!" Briarlight exclaimed. "And how does my doing for you guys stop it? Who am I going up against?"

He stopped walking, directing her with his muzzle. She gasped at where they had ceased their walking to. Black, continuous darkness laid out from the ledge they were on, spreading like a large cloud over what seemed like the lake in the real territory.

"Where is this place? And what is that?" She breathed.

"Where we are is still Nothingness, and it lies directly in-between the Live World, and the Dead World. This specific location, more or less, is a Passing between reality of life and death of our specific kind. And that," He pointed with his tail to the darkness. "Is the Something."

"S-Something? As in they are more than just a puff of air?"

If the tom wasn't so firm on emotionlessness, he would've smiled. "No. Rather, they are the evil spirits that threaten our lives. Cats that were purged with the lust, the intolerable desire to kill and feast on the pain of others even after their deaths. They torment us, _torture_ our beings, into succumbing what they are. A Something is not good. Nothingness is."

"But why is everything so dark? And why does it look like it's looming over the lake territories?"

"Because they are threatening the very facture of your lives too. We Nothingness cannot stop such a force alone. The Something are breaking our boundaries of safety—the very same that was laid several seasons ago by the first Nothingness cat, who was of a certain murderer's victim. And I fear that it will come to haunt the Live Ones; your Clan and the others too."

"But…But that's impossible! Dead cats can't hurt live cats, right?"

Sadly, the white tom shook his head gravely. "Whoever started making Live Ones believe that is wrong," His voice laced with anger almost. "Dead Ones can kill Live Ones, especially more accurately when a cat is passed out or asleep."

Briarlight felt like a cold ball of stone had dropped into her stomach. "However," He continued. "That doesn't mean that the Live Ones are weak. They can kill a Dead One just as easily as another Live One, only the Dead One shall turn into nothing."

A sense of airy relief floated back into her heart. She let out an uneasy breath and stared out distantly. Their ledge seemed to be higher than she had expected, for she could see several tree-lengths out into the horizon. The sun was almost fully dipped behind the far-off mountains, giving orange and yellow rays that coated the distinctive white fog shrouding Nothingness.

_'I wonder what Jayfeather is doing right now? Has he made it to the Tribe yet? Or is he still searching for the Mountains?'_ She wondered.

Though she just got here, she started to feel an unusually acceptance of Nothingness. It was a place almost like ThunderClan, where cats tried to be safe from harm and death.

But she couldn't help but shiver when she saw that the sunrays didn't pierce through the dark fog looming far below them. She frowned with determination overcoming her sense of fear.

"What can I do to help?"

For the first time since she met him and Little One back in the medicine den, Big One actually looked shocked. But her gaze didn't falter a bit. His own turned back to neutrality. "What do you mean, specifically? I've already asked you to try venturing out of your nesting home to find the cure."

"What is it that I must do afterwards to succeed in helping you cats? I don't want to see such a lost-filled place disappeared completely in darkness."

He nodded in understanding. "It's a logical reason, Live One. However, I cannot tell you anything else. The Lead One will be most upset if she is to find out that I'm slipping information out to you when the time is not right."

She smiled at the amusement in his voice again. "Okay. But can you inform me when it is time?" They started up once more and began walking down the ledge's side.

"Your permission is granted, Live One. But when that time comes, I will have to search for your presence. Nothingness may appear to stretch everywhere, but it's like finding a pinecone in a haystack. It will be a hard task, but I'm sure I will have the Lead One come along."

"Who is this Lead One?"

He shrugged. "You cease to see the things in front of your path, Live One. I will not tell you, but wait alongside for your realization."

"You sure do speak weirdly," She mumbled. Then she remembered something. "Hey, why are you almost white like the fog, when that Little One, the kitten, was so stark black? Is she a Something?"

"She is caught between the choice of being a Something and a Nothingness. I don't make the choice for her, but I believe she wishes to be near the Lead One. She is more lost than most of the Little Ones of Nothingness."

_'I see. I wish I didn't get so deep into her pelt. I wonder what she's mad at me for?'_

"This is where I let you go, Live One," He said. They had stopped directly in front of a different lake, which was smaller than the other one. It had a branched out river connected to it, trailing deeper into the distant mist. The air around them had settled into that of comfort. "I wish you the upmost of dreaming."

Seeing him begin to depart, Briarlight called out, "Wait!" When he stopped, she fidgeted nervously. "Please do call me Briarlight. And I appreciate everything you've done for me, um…what do I call you?"

He allowed himself to smile again. "Many Nothingness cats do not recall their names or who they once were after they come here. However, I vaguely remember mine...you may call me Soul, Briarlight."

She bowed her head in respect. "Then I thank you, Soul. See you soon I hope?"

"Indeed. Safe trip."

Initially, Briarlight expected her dreampaws to fall back into her body, but it didn't. Instead, the pull coming from the river called to her. With baited breath, she took one pawstep onto the lake's surface, believing she would fall in.

What really happen was she stayed on the surface top, ripples fleeing from where she walked. Briarlight felt feather light, giggling as she started trotting faster. The river appeared to grow smaller the longer she walked on. It continued to shrink till it was almost a creek.

Then suddenly it disappeared in an overwhelmingly thick cloud of fog. Gulping, Briarlight mustered up her courage and continued forth. Her paws seemed to grow heavier and harder to lift up one in front of the next. Soon, her body felt like a boulder, and blackness took over.

But deep inside her mind, she knew she was safe.

_'Now I must choose…'_

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**Review please~! (Not much else to request here XD;) **


	9. Chapter 8

**Here's Chapter 8! Another advice from me is to either quickly Google 'Oriental Longhair' or 'Savannah cat' while reading this chapter. Both breeds are my top favorites (but I love any and all cats either way XD) **

**Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy this~ Review if you have questions, or want to say how you liked this chapter, or etc. ^^ **

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 8**

Briarlight's shoulders hurt, screaming for her to rest more, but the feeling in her heart would not go away. Not until she was where she needed to be. It pained her to look back at ThunderClan so late in the night, all the cats not even knowing that she had departed so silently, even in her crippled state. But her heart kept swelling in excitement in spite of that once she thought of meeting SJ again.

With a grunt, she pulled herself up a rock ledge on one of the hills, taking one long gaze down at the territories. She could see distinctly WindClan camp, naked and vulnerable to the cold breezes that whispered through the air. In the horizon, the ever so faint ShadowClan forest and RiverClan creek breached together. A ThunderClan night patrol would be placing up scents again near their border with ShadowClan. She gave a sigh.

_'When did the world go wrong? Everyone is so strict and paranoid now.' _She thought before turning away. She sniffed the air, momentarily savoring the cold, fresh air that she inhaled. But Briarlight was actually sniffing for close water.

Smelling out the aquatic scent, she pulled herself carefully down the ledge and continued crawling, looking over her shoulders and sniffing the air out for any predators nearby. So far, nothing had followed her.

Briarlight stopped at a small creek, the same one she was certain lead towards Moonpool. Though she hadn't been this close to WindClan by herself, she had a sense that no cat would trail up this far into the territory unless absolutely needed to. She began huffing heavily, her breath coming out in puff clouds. Briarlight bent down and took grateful gulps of water, shivering when the coldness went down her throat. She yawned, feeling the affects of not getting enough sleep starting to dawn on her.

_'No, I have to keep going. I need to make sure SJ is there tonight.'_ She reminded herself. Shaking the weariness from her brain, Briarlight got up again and traveled upstream. The ground was hard under her paws, a few stones sharply digging into her pads. She only stopped again to lick the blood that dribbled from her left paw.

ThunderClan was her home and she was leaving it, for someplace she didn't even know of in the slightest. Leaving behind Cherrykit, Molekit, Firestar, Mousefur…Her heart felt a stab again at the thought of the old she-cat and her grumbling, constantly complaining about everything. And yet that was just her, and it was what made her special. Briarlight thought of her mother, Millie. She was just trying to help her get better, being so worried because she was a mother and that's was what they just did. Her siblings, Blossomfall and Bumblestripe. Her brother was so helpful too, giving her the opportunity to walk with him secretly to the lake and talk about the good times.

Blossomfall, Briarlight knew, was simply jealous because Millie was worrying so much and placing basically all of her attention on her. That and the fact that Millie hurt Blossomfall by insulting her, saying she was acting like a kit and not being more grown up and warrior-like. That had dawned a sense of shame on Briarlight; she didn't want so much attention that it would've hurt others.

_'I've got to stop whining about being hurt all the time!' _She growled at herself._ 'How would Amy feel if she knew it was doing that? Or the others? StarClan, that's so frustrating,'_ Pausing, she looked up at the moon. _'Guide me StarClan. And Nothingness. As well as this Meadow. You've all given me a big task.'_

She was nearing the forest that hid Moonpool when she felt the fur on her neck rise. A shiver involuntarily escaped her. Looking behind her back, she saw nothing, but something told her something saw_**her**__._ For many long heartbeats no cat or fox jumped out to attack her. Briarlight felt stiffer as she trudge on, keeping her head down but glancing to the sides for any surprise attacks.

At least then she could defend herself a little.

Once in the forest, Briarlight had to admit it felt much better than being so open to anything in the fields. _'How does WindClan live with that feeling? Don't they get scared if an eagle swoops down and takes one of their own?'_ She thought nervously.

_'If they did, then they wouldn't be WindClan. They would be something completely different. They know, like every other cat, how to take care of themselves.' _Another part of her retorted.

Tilting her head back again, she drew in a large gulp through her mouth and could practically taste the pure water of Moonpool. Excitement bubbling in her belly, she quickened her dragging, though took caution not to trip on anything or get stuck. Briarlight gasped in awe at the spring. The moon was at a perfect angle and position to give Moonpool an even better feeling of safety and sanctuary.

_'Does Jayfeather feel this way every moon that he comes here?'_ She wondered. Forcing herself to calm down, she crawled over to the edge of the pool, looking down at her reflection in the clear water. The snow had started melting when a warm breeze had come during the day, but now it was cold to the touch, though not as cold as the air itself.

_'How is it that Jayfeather visits StarClan? Does he fall into the water?'_ A stupid thought it was, causing her to laugh a little. _'Maybe he drinks the water and is visited? It would help me to find answers in StarClan and not from other lost cats like in Nothingness…' _

Briarlight dipped her head, her nose touching the water, but she didn't drink. She remembered that she was here to meet with SJ, if possible. It would do her no good to hear her ancestors yowling in anger. It would only make her feel more ashamed of herself.

A sound echoed the air. She thought it was a distant night prey, scavenging for food, for it was so tiny she almost didn't think it was real. But the fur on her neck rose to stand on end, so Briarlight snapped her head up, looking around. The muscles in her shoulders tensed and flexed, rolling so that she would not get cramped up. Her breath came out in long and slow clouds, trailing up and vanishing above her head.

Nothing happened. It annoyed her unexpectedly. But she told herself to remain still and keep her senses on alert, just like Thornclaw and, no doubt, Amy told her to. An owl hooted, nearly making her jump out of her fur, but Briarlight did nothing.

She waited. And waited. And waited…

A stick flew out of the bushes, breaking her concentration as it hit her back silently. Briarlight whirled around the best she could, only to see emptiness.

Then it clicked like lightning striking.

_'I've been tricked!'_

Just as she thought so, something dashed out from behind her again. She turned around to see who it was, but suddenly dirt splashed into her eyes. Crying out in shock and from the sting of the dirt, Briarlight instinctively closed them tight, feeling tears watering them up. Something cuffed her head, making her ears buzz loudly as if bees were flying around in them. Briarlight tried to shake the noise out of head, but she didn't have the time.

Judging the impact, whoever it was attacking her barged their shoulder into her right side, catching her off her paws. With a grunt she toppled to the ground. She tried opening her eyes again, but they stung too much with all the dirt that had go into them. Finally, the buzzing noise went away, but she was met with silence. Whoever had done their deed vanish almost like air, leaving her edgy and too tense.

She heard it before it came; the sound of rustling gave the creature away. Unsheathing her claws, Briarlight tired to inflict a wound, swinging her paw towards her right. But it only slashed through empty air. Growling in annoyance, she tried it again, but she was clearly not accustomed to being blind. _'Now I know why Jayfeather became a medicine cat!' _

The creature was very swift and most importantly light on their feet. _'It could be a WindClan cat. But the strength and sneakiness was almost that of a ShadowClan cat!'_ She forced herself to stay relax as the creature circled her. _'No…I need to calm down and brace myself…concentrate…concentrate!' _She tried to use her hearing, but Briarlight realized quickly that the cat was _purposely _making noise now, coming from all sides and making her head hurt. She tried smelling out the cat, but that only made things more frustrating; and startling.

The cat had no indication of being a Clan cat.

_'Could it be SJ?'_ But that was pushed down when she noticed it was freshly different.

The ground rumbled underneath her paws, growing and fading depending how close the cat came and jumped away. _'The ground! That's it!'_

Focusing on the ground shakes, she timed the cat's actions. Every two heartbeats would the cat spring forward and snap back out of sensing or within range of attack. When Briarlight sensed the footfalls slowing down, she tensed up slightly and prepared for an attack.

When it came, she gave a silent wish to StarClan for luck. Briarlight grunted as the weight of the cat's shoulder hit her in the side. Instead of pushing away, she fell back, linking her right forepaw underneath the cat and pulling them with. A soft gasp was her reward but the brown she-cat didn't quit there. Swiftly latching her mouth onto their scruff, Briarlight used all her strength to throw the cat, whipping her head around and letting go at the last hearbeat. The next thing she knew was water splashing and a few drops got her. Luckily, the droplets got into her eyes and washed away some of the dirt.

Briarlight opened her eyes and turned around slowly. Her blood froze and her heart fell into her stomach at the sight before her. The cat got out of the water, shaking vigorously to get the cold water off of his pelt. But that wasn't what terrified Briarlight to the very core of her soul.

It was their **size**.

Easily the cat could've stood over all other Clan cats. And since it was closer, she had to crane her neck upwards to get a good look at the cat. Muscles rolled and flexed strongly against what looked like a thin layer of fur and skin. Colors varying from brown to pale amber were patched with spots spread all over its body. Long, erect ears rested above a sharply angled face. Briarlight couldn't believe how tall this cat was! Not even Brambleclaw or Lionblaze could come nearly as close as this cat in size and length. For a second, Briarlight almost thought she was looking at a fox.

"Man! You have a tough grip and a good throw there, kitty cat!"

A spark of realization dawned Briarlight; this cat was a _**she.**_

"W-Who are you?" She said shakily. The giant cat shook off the remaining water clinging to her and gave a shudder.

"Brr! You'd think that the warmer air coming would feel nice, but no! It's still so cold!" The she-cat giggled happily. "And that water, oh! How in the summer it would feel so much better to swim!"

"Who are you?!" Briarlight yowled angrily. "What do you want for me? W-What are you?"

"Chill, kitty cat! I'm not gonna hurt you or anything."

"Yeah, right! And what was that that you were doing to me before? You were trying to kill me!" Briarlight protested.

Now it was the giant cat's turn to frown, making Briarlight regret what she said. "If I was to kill you, kitty cat, I wouldn't have held out that long. Several minutes ago, you would've already been gone from this world."

"R-Really?" Briarlight said doubtfully.

"Oh Meadow yeah. And, if I do say so myself, I think you did a fabulous job a few seconds ago, kitty cat. What's your name?"

_'This cat is very curious. She must be younger than I thought.'_ Briarlight pondered. "M-My name is Briarlight."

Excitement immediately took over the cat. She sprung closer, making Briarlight instinctively push backwards. "Really?! So you're the cat that sis has been talking about! She said you are very brave and, well…" She paused, tail pointing behind Briarlight to her hind legs. "in need of a little worthy help."

Briarlight was shocked momentarily. Nervously she asked, "D-Do you know a named SJ? Silvery and beautiful—"

"—Tough, amazing, and very smart? Yep! That's my sister alright." The she-cat grinned.

Realization hit her again. "Wh-What's your name?"

"Name's Maple, Miss Briarlight, and it's an honor seeing such a wonderfully brave she-cat like yourself."

Embarrassment and startle shot through her brain. "Y-You're Maple?! But…but SJ never said that she had a sister so…_big_ like you. Are you her older sister?"

"Nope!" She said with a hard shake of her head. "Younger, from the same litter though. She was first born and the only one different from us all."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Ma had been bred with two different males on accident. See, SJ's real Pap was called an Oriental Longhair cat, and they're very beautiful cats. My daddy was just like me and our Ma. So strong and amazing!" Maple said in an awed tone.

"Are you called something? Something different?" Briarlight asked, feeling very intrigued by all this new and somewhat confusing information.

The she-cat bowed her head shyly, changing completely from what she was like a heartbeat ago. "I'm what No-Collars call a…um what was it…oh! A Savannah cat. We're known for our superior size from all other cats like you. We jump higher than most cats and run faster, thanks to having longer legs and more athletically built bodies. If I recall correctly, I think SJ is bigger than the average female cat."

Now that Briarlight thought back to when she first met SJ, she realized that Maple was telling the truth. SJ stood around the height of a male tom such as Brambleclaw. _'That would be funny if the toms of ThunderClan saw how big she was.'_

"So…do you know where SJ is, Maple?" Briarlight asked hesitantly. However, Maple shook her head and shrugged nonchalantly.

"At the moment, no. Sis didn't verify where or when she was going to meet me and you. But I do know she'll be here before the moon is at its lowest tonight. Probably soon if I guess right."

_"And _'soon'_ you are right indeed, my dear sister."_

Both she-cats turned in time to notice the beautiful silver tabby she-cat trot out from the bushes, a small hare dangling from her strong jaws. SJ's gaze quickly went over to Briarlight and her face turned to that of happiness.

"Here. Let me help, Jazz," Maple giggled, taking the hare and placing by the water's edge.

"I knew that you would come, Briarlight," She said with a purr. SJ brushed up against the brown warrior. "It's been too long and I have to say, you were a nice cat to be around."

"Thank you. It's been long and, surprisingly, hard time since I last met you too, SJ."

"And I see you've met my younger sister, Maple. She didn't give you too much of a workout?"

Briarlight shook her head and smiled wryly. "No, but I did get tested by her. Apparently, she wanted to have some…fun."

SJ glared at Maple, who gave a sly grin in return. The silver she-cat thwacked her larger sister across the ear without so much a claw of hesitation. Maple cowered like a kit being disciplined by her mother, instead of looking like a huge beast that could take on even the bravest and strongest tom in the Clans.

Briarlight couldn't help but peer closely at their actions. Here was SJ— bigger than most males, and the older sister of a cat still twice her own size—smiling and playfully directing Maple to be polite. She was calmed, collected most of the time, but still appeared to have her fun side, enjoying the time with other cats and holding no grudges against anyone. And Maple—same age but still the younger sister of a litter—so completely free-spirited and open-minded to possibilities, it was no wonder to Briarlight how easily she liked the spotted brown cat's optimistic curiosity.

Two different stones that shared an equal amount of friendliness.

"Miss Briarlight?" Maple's voice broke through to her.

"Sorry, were you saying something?" Briarlight asked.

"I asked if you would like to share this hare and my squirrel?"

"Sure, I would appreciate it, thank you."

Maple smiled brightly and disappeared into the bushes, only to jump out again with a plump squirrel in her mouth. Three long strides towards Briarlight and Maple dropped it at her paws. "You can have it. You'll need it before we leave."

The warrior she-cat almost forgot why she had come to meet the she-cats. A hint of hesitation wracked her body and she looked down guiltily. Maple and SJ didn't miss it.

"You know, sweetheart, you don't have to come with us. We…we can leave you be and you go back to ThunderCla—"

"No!" Briarlight interrupted hastily. She shook her head and came to her sense for—what it felt like since she met Billie, SJ, Soul, and even Amy—the first time. "I'm coming with. It's my path that I'm choosing. I just hope you two will understand why I'm doing so."

Maple and SJ looked at each other and smiled in unison. Maple spoke first. "We will never object your decisions. Only accept. So long as you tell us what you mean by it. But that can wait until we're done eating and heading out of here," She paused her claws flexing on the hard soil and her ears erecting more, if even possible. Maple's face scrunched up in a frown. "Nothing has happened now, but I'm guessing by the first rays of dawn, you're disappearance will have everyone in a tizzy."

Briarlight looked at SJ in shock. "How can she guess that?" She chirped. "More importantly, how _did _she do that?"

SJ smirked, clearly amused. "Maple, as I say to any cat, is gifted. I believe that with my very heart. And I think she knows that she's gifted. Our brothers and sisters never had such strong senses. However, it's only in her ears. She can feel the vibrations under her legs if in closer range, giving off very distinctive shakes depending on whatever the object may be. But she hears whatever the wind holds onto with its drift. She's been doing this ever since she was a little kit," SJ paused, frowning, "And yet, despite that incredible ability, Maple says—"

_"—no I don't!"_ The Savannah said on cue. She bowed her head in embarrassment. "I just have better senses since I'm bigger, that's all."

SJ sighed, shaking her head. "Every single time," She mumbled. She glanced over at Briarlight. "She hates grabbing attention so easily. She may be big and strong in situations out here, but at home, she's nothing more than a bundle of shyness."

Maple grumbled something too quiet for them to hear, but SJ's face did light up with another smile. "Come on, now. Let's finish our meals before they freeze up."

Briarlight ate squirrel, purring at the explosion of taste from it as she chewed. SJ and Maple did the same with their hare, with Maple eating more thanks to her skipping out eating all day just to get to Moonpool on time. After a quick finish wash, Briarlight heard Maple and SJ get up.

"Alright! Let's head out. If we can walk quick enough, by midday we'll be to the back end of the forest. We'll take the trail back home right, sis?" Maple directed over to the silver tabby. She nodded.

"Indeed. The clowder of cats don't usually track that far north." Briarlight knew she was talking about ThunderClan specifically.

"Um…you two are forgetting about something." She interjected into the conversation. The two she-cats looked at her and a wave of realization hit Maple.

The spotted brown cat bowed her head in apology. "Forgive me, Miss Briarlight! I didn't mean—"

"It's okay, Maple! I was just trying to joke around. I can crawl quick you know." She said with a sympathetic smile. "And please, call me Briarlight. I'm probably no older than you guys."

"She's right, young sister. But we'll place that aside. Let's be on our way."

As the three broke through the trees, Briarlight looked behind her at Moonpool, feeling a small pull of regret. But she knew in her heart now, that there was no going back; she wanted to be here, with Maple and SJ by her side to guide her. Probably even be a part of her destiny.

_'They're guiding me, StarClan. And I need you, the Meadow, and even Nothingness to do the same, please. Give us the power for safety.'_ She prayed. As if hearing her, a cold wind brushed through her fur.

She turned away from the forest to see Maple and SJ patiently waiting for her to catch up. She returned a smile to them as she equally walked with them. Though they were practically next to strangers in reality, Briarlight felt a strong growing connection with the sisters.

She only hoped that they felt the same to her.

* * *

**At long last, things are starting to turn. The Clans, sad in some ways it is to say this, will be mentioned via memories and potentially a quick step back into how things are going on after Briarlight leaves.**

**I want to forwarn you all that haven't really read the fourth series of Warriors, this never happens (where Briarlight actually leaves the Clan. In the books, she's just a minor role that tries to show she's not weak. This is why I've made this story; it's somewhat alternate but ****tries**** to stay on the path of the Omen of the Stars.**

**Try to keep up ;) Review if you like to~!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Nothing really to say before you guys start reading this chapter. Hope you enjoy :D**

"Normal Talking"

"_Eerie Dead Cats Approaching" _(This'll be used differently later on)

'_Thoughts'_

'Mention of Past Terms'

"**Dog Talk"**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The journey was long, and on constant alert for predators with them in the wide open. Though Briarlight tried to assure Maple that no cat she knew came up this far, the Savannah she-cat was still on the lookout for them. They also had to stop often for Briarlight to catch her breath. Maple gave her some dried up, nearly dead coltsfoot she found; she had mentioned on the way that her and SJ were taught the basics of finding herbs whenever in need of them. Dry though they were, Briarlight ate them gratefully, feeling at least a bit of content to her stomach.

However, soon hunger was eating away at her belly, making her wince every so often. She grew more tired easily, both physically and mentally. SJ had tried to hunt for something large, but she only came back to them with two moles, both of which she gave to Briarlight to keep her going. Maple didn't speak against this once, only eyeing her worriedly. They filled her up, making her continue on till it was almost sunhigh, though clouds were starting to darken above their heads.

The wind grew to a point that they had to stop and rest for a longer time. Maple, unfortunately, told them that they would have to wait till the wind died down enough for them not to be blow off their paws. That didn't happen till almost sundown.

They continued more, and Briarlight soon forgot completely how long and far they had travelled since Moonpool. But she had a feeling they were getting closer and closer to their destination the more they continuously walked. Sadly, her belly quickly became empty and painful again, as well as her legs. They were burning for her to stop, but she didn't, telling SJ and Maple that she was fine when she really wasn't.

By early nightfall, the trio had stopped for another rest, Briarlight collapsing on the ground dutifully with a sigh.

"You sure you're okay, sweetheart?" SJ persisted. Briarlight bit back a retort. She couldn't snap at a new friend who was simply worried, especially in the condition she was already in. _'At least she is not like Millie's constant nagging I guess…'_

"I'm fine, SJ, really." She said, trying to sound better. But that only caused SJ to frown, clearly not believing her false words.

"No you're not," She said sternly. She nodded to her sister. "I'll stay here, Maple. Can you go and fetch some chamomile and a moss bundle of water if possible?"

Maple said nothing, merely nodded, as she vanished out of their view under the tree. SJ lied down next to Briarlight, wrapping her long furry tail around the brown she-cat. "You mustn't push yourself so hard, Briar. We don't want ya fainting on us just yet. We're getting close though, I know it. So does Maple."

Briarlight wanted to nod her head in approval, but it seemed too heavy at the point. Her vision grew dark and before she knew it, she fell asleep.

It didn't seem like long, for a paw was shaking her shoulder lightly. "Briarlight? Briar! Wake up!" It sounded like Maple.

The warrior jolted awake, shaking her head to quickly get the drowsiness out of her mind. She looked up to see the Savannah bending over her—despite already sitting down— as she nudged forward a small clump of moss and chamomile. "You had me worried there for a second, kitty cat." She said with a relieved smile.

"How long was I asleep?" Briarlight asked.

"Since Maple left. It's almost highnight." SJ spoke this time. She meant that it was the middle of the night now.

"Did you get any fresh kill?" She asked hopefully.

SJ's response was a half-eaten mole pushed next to the clump of herbs. She smiled. "Maple ate the other one, and I had half. Now it's your turn to eat, dear."

Briarlight thanked them both and ate up the rest of the mole, purring at the meat going down her throat into her empty belly. She looked beyond the she-cats to notice that the sky was clouded over in the night, no moon was out to light their way; and snow was falling at a steady pace.

"How much snow has fallen since I fell asleep?"

"Enough to slow us down a little more. But that's not biggie. I went ahead and found where the forest crowds up less. That's where we need to head. It'll be long, but that won't stop our spirits. And upside is that the snow will hide our tracks for the time being." Maple explained, her excitement eating away at her voice.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Briarlight went to get up, but immediately winced and fell back down on her stomach, groaning in pain. "Ouch! Wha-What's wrong with my shoulders?"

"Seems like you didn't stretch your muscles properly. Plus, you've been crawling far more than you're probably used to doing, Briar." SJ said, placing a paw on her shoulder and rubbing the knotted muscles to a relaxing point. She shook her head. "There's no way I'll allow you to continue like this, dear. You need more rest. You've been up for almost two days straight, are near starving, and not accustomed to this completely."

"What do we do then?" Panic filled Briarlight's belly.

Maple glanced at SJ, and a smile of mischievousness crawled over her lips. Briarlight gulped, having a feeling of regret from asking such a question to them.

Without saying a word still, Maple walked next to the warrior and dipped her head down. The Savannah she-cat's nose dug under her belly till her face started to as well. "H-Hey!" Briarlight squeaked, but was ignored as Maple's head poked out from under her chest. Squealing, Briarlight slid backwards, down Maple's neck and soon stopped where her shoulders were. Instinctively, she grabbed onto her neck and clung tightly. She felt guilty when a sharp gasp came from Maple herself.

"E-Easy, kitty cat! I need my neck too!" She said with a laugh. Briarlight looked down only to gasp in surprise. It seemed now that Maple was taller than before. She relaxed her grip and wished she, again, could use her back legs to still have a firm but gentler grip on the Savannah.

"Sorry…just not used to this as well." Briarlight said nervously.

"Well, you don't need to feel scared around me, Briar. Trust me, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Maple stood up straighter and began to walk once more, with Briarlight easing her grip when she was at a point that she didn't worry about it anymore. It felt rather nice to sit on Maple's back. She was willing to help in any way, and it calmed her.

As they trudged along, Briarlight continuously fell in and out of sleep, waking up at the slightest fault in Maple's rhythmic walk. SJ stayed close next to her sister, in case Briarlight started slipping towards one side.

At one point, Briarlight simply forgot the pace they were at and fell into a complete slumber. The warmth surrounding her was so comforting she felt herself dip further into the depths of her dreampaws. She opened her eyes to see that she was sprawled out in a grassy field, smelling of newleaf. She sighed blissfully, but it got caught in her throat when a sudden rush of cold made it turn to a sharp gasp. She looked down to see the grass had turned into water, cold like icicles, stabbing into her skin.

In a panic, she tried to jump away, but quickly discovered that her paws seemed to be implanted into the now dark ground. The cold water turned into a cold muddy feeling, and it disgusted her. She looked around, but saw nothing; just darkness.

"H-Help! Somebody help me!" She yowled, but nothing happened. The muddy water came up to her neck, then her nose, and soon it was over head. Briarlight tried to kick, but her whole body felt as if it was solid ice, frozen in time but everything else was real and deadly. Dark spots started flickering through her vision. She breathed in accidently, feeling her lungs be filled with water instead of air. It was thick and mucky.

_'I can't die like this! No! I need to…to…protect…Thund…erCl…an…'_ Her thoughts were as blurry as her vision now. The black void surrounding her now swallowed her up.

However, before it could kill her off like she expected, a loud splash above her head followed by a dim light seemed to awaken her from the claws of death. Something sharp and firm—like a mouth—grabbed onto her scruff and pulled her up. She broke through the water with heaping coughs of water.

_"Be careful of whom you trust, kit. It will destroy you if not led right…" _

_ 'A-Amy?'_  
"Briarlight! Briarlight! Briar! Briar! **WAKE UP**!" Voices screamed at her, pulling her farther and farther away from her dream turned nightmare.

"Briar please wake up!"

.

.

The warrior jolted upright, gasping in cold breaths of air. It was fresh, alive, not like the thick mud that she thought she'd swallowed. _'It was only a nightmare! But…I thought I heard Amy…'_ Briarlight thought as she coughed. She looked up to see both Maple and SJ gazing down at her.

Their faces registered horror and relief together.

"Wha-Wha..happened?" Briarlight asked shakily.

SJ quickly dipped her head down and rubbed against Briarlight, a choked sob caught in her throat. "You little devil! You scared nearly the fur off of us both! Don't ever do that…" She trailed off, purring loudly.

"What happened guys?" She asked again, this time in a much firmer voice.

"You fell asleep on me, Briar," Maple started, "but I didn't think that it was nothing to worry 'bout. That is…until you started kicking with your forepaws." She paused, her face turning grave. "I stopped to check up on you. But, for some odd reason, once you dropped into the snow you…you'd…"

"I what? What happened, Maple? Did I start crying out?" Briarlight asked in a hasty tone.

SJ shook her head and stepped in. "You'd stop breathing, Briar. Completely."

Briarlight felt her throat clench up in fright. "No…that can't be…it was only a nightmare…how can I die? Am I dead now? What's going on?!" She was started to pant.

"Calm down, Briarlight. You're alive and well now. It seems you were caught in an evil trap by some evil cats, but someone or something must've jumped in and saved you at the right time. That only happens to cats who can see ghosts as a gift. Can you?"

Briarlight nodded. SJ smiled. "I see…that explains the feeling I had before. But we mustn't worry about it now. Look where we are."

The forest was split apart by a trail, the gravel lightly covered with a layer of snow. Briarlight looked from side to side and noticed that it continued on till she couldn't see it anymore. The trees stood bare and weaved with the wind. A sense of calm washed through her heart.

"We…we're here. We made it." She finally breathed softly.

SJ nodded, smiling all the while. With a quiet grunt, she sat down. "Now, we wait."

"Wait for what exact—"

"Shh!" Maple hissed abruptly. Briarlight jumped, scared at the snake-like noise that came out of the Savannah's mouth. She looked around, wondering if another cat had followed them. She lifted her head and sniffed the air, but the wind was blowing in an almost circular motion around them. It roared like a lion, deafening Briarlight for several moments. At the last heartbeat, the brown warrior heard a loud snap of a twig.

But Maple had sensed it long before they did.

She whirled around and pounced in the direction of Briarlight. Before the she-cat could object to her actions, a hard swipe came from behind her and sent Maple landing hard on the ground. "Mapl—!"

Briarlight was cut off by a large paw, far bigger than hers slamming into her throat, causing her to choke on her words. She tumbled to her side, gasping for breath but not receiving any with the pressure being pressed into her throat. Squinting her eyes open, Briarlight suddenly wished she couldn't breathe at all with the sharply defined green eyes sneering at her.

A fox had trapped her underneath its grasp.

Hissing, she reached up and slashed at the fox's nose, coughing when it released its hold on her and shook its head. Not wasting time, Briarlight staggered up on her forepaws and began crawling away quickly. The fox snarled and charged after her, but was stopped by Maple, who got in its line of view and delivered a hard high blow to its ears. She maneuvered on her long legs just in time to avoid a fatal bite to the neck. With a proud yowl, she jumped onto the fox's back and began ripping at its fur and skin, shedding blood onto the white ground.

"Maple!" Briarlight screeched in terror for the large she-cat. A tail wrapped around her neck and pulled her in the direction of SJ.

"She'll be fine, dear. We need to hide. Now!" She said in a stern tone. Briarlight didn't disagree, but also didn't agree with it. The warrior she-cat followed her companion over to a dead patch of thorn bushes. She dove in and quickly reeled around to see if Maple was okay.

To say that Briarlight was shocked would've made her scoff in disbelief. She knew completely that Maple was and is strong, but she never in her wildest dreams would've thought that the Savannah would muster up remarkable courage as she faced an animal practically the same size as her, shockingly enough.

Maple growled low, ducking as the fox lashed at her face. In doing so, she bit down hard on its foreleg, pulling it out from underneath its and making the fox fall. Maple gave off a second "snake hiss" backing away, but still holding a fighting stance. The fox seemed to struggle in getting up, indicating that Maple's attacks had injured it to a point it was slowing down. But one glance at the feral glare in the fox's face made Briarlight's stomach fill with cold dread.

And a gut feeling flowed over telling her that Maple knew what was going to happen next, but she gave off no indication of so.

With unexpected speed, the fox pounced, tackling Maple over, who skidded back up and fell back into a clash of claws and teeth with it. But it leaned towards the fox with it threw Maple off her feet and stood over her with what appeared to be an evil smirk.

"Maple!" SJ yowled, struggling whether or not to jump out and help her.

Briarlight watched helplessly, the fox getting ready to dive down for the final kill. _'StarClan save her!'_ She cried out mentally.

A noise, much louder than Maple's snarl, echoed in the air. Briarlight then realized it was the sound of a dog, growing close quickly. She felt relief but new ignited fear as a white dog, slim and tall, snapped at the fox, its eyes hot and angry. The dog barked loudly, scaring the fox off of Maple. But Maple didn't seemed frightened by the white dog in the least.

In fact, she appeared almost…excited to see it.

The fox seemed to have lost all of its feral courage once the beast jumped in and saved Maple. It snarled once, standing right above Maple, and made the fox turn tail, fleeing into the bushes.

Many pregnant pauses passed, no one moving from their postures. Finally, the dog whipped around and tackled Maple down with large licks to the face. Briarlight stared, aghast.

"H-Hey! I'm glad to see you too, Lucinda!" Maple squealed, pushing the white slim dog away in order to nuzzle in its neck fur. Getting up, Briarlight stifled a laugh when she noticed that Maple was covered in a light layer of drool. Maple paused to shake it off, a bright smile never wavering from her lips.

"You know this dog, Maple?" Briarlight couldn't help but ask, though she did so in a quiet tone. Unlike her, however, SJ burst out to rub against the dog on its other side.

"Yep! Her name is Lucinda." Maple looked at her companion. Clearing her throat briefly, her voice got gruff and Briarlight didn't understand what she was saying.

"What did you do there, Maple?"

"I spoke in dog tongue."

"How did you do that?"

"I've learned how to speak that way since I was little. My father and mother told me how to talk to dogs. It's quite easy once you get used to the gruffness of your own voice. SJ even knows how to do it," Maple grinned widely. "What I said to her is that your name is Briarlight and that you're my new friend. The same one I've mentioned about many times."

_'So a dog knows who I am. Just great.' _Briarlight thought with a grumble. Suddenly, another, much deeper, bark came from behind Lucinda. Her blue eyes whipped around just in time to see a huge dog—obviously a male—white like her but with gray-black ears and tailtip. He was panting hard, sharp brown eyes scanning over to where she and the cats stood.

**"Hey King!"** SJ mewled, smirking as the white male dog strutted over to her. "It's good to see you. A sight for sore eyes, don't you think?"

But all King did was snort in annoyance before his attention fell on Briarlight. He stared long and hard at her, as if judging her appearance. Briarlight didn't know until now that she was shaking.

_'Suck it up, you mouse-breath! He can't hurt you, for Maple would stop him._' She told herself, instantly feeling more relaxed at it.

"I wonder where Mama is," Maple chirped. "She never lets these two out of sight unless they're herding…"

Something clicked in Briarlight's head. "Who's 'Mama'? No one has said a word about this 'Mama'."

Apparently, it hit Maple and SJ harder than expected. They glanced at each other, worry filling their expressions. Lucinda and King even looked like so too.

"Um…well, that was what we were…worried about telling you, Briar. There are things you probably hate about us and of her if we told you…"

The feeling of dread started building up in her stomach, making her shudder. "Please tell me. Who is this Mama—"

Low and hard thumps trailed in their direction. Briarlight almost thought a stampede was happening. She looked around frantically, but nothing showed up right away. She waited for two heartbeats before giving her attention to Maple to order her what was happening.

But it never came.

A figure came closer down from the path. However, as it drew nearer, Briarlight's dread exploded into pure terror.

Skidding a stop and standing several fox-lengths higher than all of them, was a female Twoleg, panting a little out of breath.

_"Hi Mama!"_

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**Ahh, Cliffhangers –dodges bullets and spoiled food- I just love 'em B) You'll have to wait until the next chapter~**

**Interesting Facts Time!**

**From what I've watched and quickly researched on, Savannah cats are also known for their trait, 'the snake hiss' Unlike many cats, Savannahs have a deeper, much raspier hiss that sounds much like a snake's hiss. They hiss and growl for in danger, AND when playing (especially with feathers, oddly enough). When playing, it's not because they are ticked off; it's really because their predatory side comes out, so people who own Savannahs shouldn't be all too surprised at this. When they want attention, they hiss to get the attention of their owners sometimes (they don't want to hurt you in the least XD) This all comes from their—surprisingly—very close lineage to the Serval, which played the key part in a Savannah's birth, size, speed, and jumping abilities. The Savannah was first successfully "bred" as an experiment between a male, properly "domesticated" Serval (owned by Suzi Woods) and a female domestic Siamese cat on April 7, 1986. Because of their 'snake hiss' many got the wrong impression, thus the Savannah cat is a rarity itself, both in anatomy and price-wise, since they can be bought, in many cases, up to $20,000. **

**Just a quick wrap up and spoiler (I guess in some cases), I felt that a cat such as the Savannah would have an interesting role in the story, along with a mix-up between an Oriental. **

**Sorry for the rambling, but I hope you all at least learned something new :)**

**Until next time~!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Meh, another rather boring and short chapter. I'm making it up into two parts again. And I liked how people liked the Interesting Fact. So…I'm thinking of placing some more unique cat facts on. If you guys don't want that, please review and say so. ;) **

**Enjoy~**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 10**

Never—not even with all of the clues thrown at Briarlight's mind—would she have ever interpreted herself meeting a No-Collar—a _Twoleg,_ in the flesh. It was a female, tall, lean, but still had muscles, tan naked skin with brown fur straight down till the ends, where it curled. Although appearing out of breath, the Twoleg was not shivering from crisp wind, thanks to an unusual white obstacle wrapped around her long forelegs and trailing down to her hindlegs. Blue fur clutched around her hind legs.

"Mama!" Maple cried out, obviously happy to see the Twoleg. Briarlight couldn't tell Maple fast enough to not go at her, and watched as the Savannah jumped towards the Twoleg's upper body.

"Maple, no!" She tried to call out, yet it only came out as a squeak of shock.

But she quickly found out that there was nothing to worry about. The Twoleg, with a surprised but ecstatic look, easily caught the large she-cat with her forelegs. She gave off a happy laugh, hugging Maple close to her chest like a queen would to her kit with her tail. The Twoleg said something, though Briarlight couldn't understand what it was.

"Th-That's Mama?!" She finally managed to say, glaring over at SJ. "You cats never told me that Mama was a Twoleg!"

SJ looked away, pain registered on her face. "I knew it." She muttered softly, loud enough only for Briarlight to hear.

"What are you talking about? I want to know why you didn't tell me—"

"Because you're a wild cat! All you wild cats are the same!" Her sudden hiss caused Briarlight to take a step back. "You never give anything a chance unless at the very last breath of whatever _you_ decide is worthy enough. You think you know everything there is to know about _all_ No-Collars," She paused, head bowed, "And yet—when they can help, when they can save your life—you have the _audacity _to call them weak, stupid, and insufficient! I just wish…I just wish you could trust a being other than your own kind."

"But…but…" Briarlight was at lost for words.

"It doesn't matter now. If all you're going to do is accuse Mama of being a killer, a dumb creature with no purpose in the world other than destruction, then I won't let you come with us."

"But you told me I could be cured!"

SJ glared at her coldly. "Yes I did. But I said it to a cat that who was willing to take a chance. And to think that that same cat was **you**."

Briarlight was hurt, deeper than she ever thought so. It was worse than having the tree slamming down on her back, breaking her backbone and rendering her unable to walk again. Worse than Longtail dying for her on that dreadful night. Worse than everyone holding her back and pitying her afterwards.

It was right up there with Jayfeather's distrust in herself.

_'Is it really worth it, StarClan?'_ She thought, looking over at the No-Collar. She had knelt down on one knee and began scratching behind King's ear while holding Maple in one paw, though the Savannah was draping over it. Such love was rolling off the No-Collar in waves.

_'I came all this way now, and I'm going to continue. To find out the truths and my own path.' _Can a Twoleg—this No-Collar—really be friendly and show a real meaning in something, in everything that SJ and Maple have clued her to before? _'Only one way to find out.'_

Sucking a brave breath, Briarlight pushed past SJ and took her time getting to the female No-Collar. She was shaking on the inside, but Briarlight told herself facing her fears was the best thing to do. She stopped a few pawsteps from the female and meowed loudly to get her attention.

Luckily, it worked. The No-Collar looked up from the two dogs to meet Briarlight's nervous gaze. It took a heartbeat before emotions swirled onto her face. Briarlight was nearly tackled over by the horror and surprise that swirled inside her. _'Is it coming from the No-Collar? But how?' _The No-Collar placed Maple down carefully, but there was still some haste in her movements. Then she took a step forward.

Briarlight was so tempted to turn tail and run. But she couldn't, for her legs couldn't work, and also because she forced herself to stay still and wait. The feelings before were swiftly replaced with a crash of calm and comfort.

_"It's okay, honey. I won't hurt you."_

Briarlight gasped. _'I can understand her a little! How did that suddenly happen?'_ Briarlight stayed in place as the female No-Collar knelt down directly in front of her. She shifted on her feet and fell back on her bottom with a soft grunt.

Nothing, no one, moved, as if the others had taken their last breath to watch what would happen next. The No-Collar never moved from her spot, though one of her forelegs became outstretched, her long claws reaching out to Briarlight before stopping. Briarlight gulped, realizing that the female No-Collar wanted to allow her to make the decision.

The female continued to give her that same calm and reassuring aura and smile. _"You want to stop feeling that pain, huh hon? I can help you. You're a very strong cat for pulling your own weight." _Again, Briarlight was surprised that she could understand their language so sudden and easily.

Exhaling a shaky breath, Briarlight forced herself to take steps towards the outstretched foreleg. As she drew closer, Briarlight craned her own neck, her nose mere centimeters from the longest claw on the No-Collar's forepaw.

With one last push forward, Briarlight's nose touched the female No-Collar's claw.

It was like fire blooming inside of her belly. She looked up at the No-Collar, seeing her smiling more lovingly. For a moment, Briarlight thought she was a kit again, looking into her mother's eyes for the very first time, seeing so much concern and appreciation for her and her siblings.

_"Thank you."_ She said softly. The No-Collar moved her claw back but came forward again, this time her whole paw covering Briarlight's head. The warrior tensed, but instantly relaxed at the warmth coating through the human's paw. Unconsciously, she began to purr, leaning into the motherly touch.

Briarlight looked up just in time to see Maple and SJ walking towards her. She smiled at them. "You…you never told me that she had a gift too."

"She doesn't know the effect she has on us animals," Maple said, rubbing her whole body across the No-Collar's bent hindleg, earning herself a scratch behind the neck too. "That's why we love her. In the most serious situations that we could be in, we think of what she would do, or how she would try to comfort us and it makes us feel so much better."

"Little sis is right. I'm surprise you didn't run off," SJ said with an amused smirk. "How does it feel to be a wild cat but feel comforted with a No-Collar like Riley?" At the odd look, she placed in, "That's Mama's real name."

"It feels…different. Is she a healer of some sort? I can smell faded herbs on her hand."

"Yes, she is. She's what I've heard wild cats call a Cutter? Though we call her an Herbal Shaman. She works on all kinds of animals and takes care of them, in order to make them not as much pain as they would be before," Maple paused, licking Briarlight's ear. "That's why we wanted you to try to accept her into healing your legs."

"She…she can do that?" Briarlight said in awe.

Both she-cats nodded.

Briarlight leaned into Riley's touch as she rubbed the warrior's ear. "How come the Twolegs—I mean No-Collars—that my father told me weren't this…nice." She asked.

"Probably because he had a large family and was so uncomfortable and lived in a cramped area," Maple replied with a shrug. She watched as her No-Collar lifted Briarlight with her paws under her forelegs, causing no immediate pain. She rested her against her chest, tucking Briarlight's hindlegs underneath her belly.

Riley finally stood, making Briarlight clutch against her tighter. The No-Collar smiled and kissed Briarlight on the forehead and began to walk the way she came down the trial. Maple, King, SJ, and Lucinda all followed, like obedient Collared pets they were. But Briarlight didn't wince at the thought; they were more like free ranging animals following, literally, a mother who watched over them willingly.

The No-Collar female strode up to a monster, long and big as it was wide. It gave Briarlight shivers, seeing as Riley clearly tamed the monster to reach where they were now. She opened the rear of it with one hand. As it swung open, she ducked down and in, retrieving an odd square obstacle.

"What's that?" Briarlight chirped.

"That, my dear friend is a basket. " Maple said, jumping into the monster's rear with the other animals. "Mama's going to lay you in it in a sec."

Riley kept a firm but gentle hold on Briarlight as she brought out a long, soft object that SJ quickly confirmed to as a blanket, folding it into a neater, smaller square before placing it inside the basket. Then she placed Briarlight on top of it, moving her back legs so that they weren't such an uncomfortable position. Riley bent down to give Briarlight one more kiss on the forehead.

_"That should do you some good health."_ Once again, Briarlight could understand her but didn't know why at the most random times. She slammed the monster's rear shut, leaving SJ, Maple, and Briarlight in the back with the dogs. Briarlight craned her neck to see Riley round the monster and getting farther up in the front.

Then she felt the monster come to life.

"What's happening?!" She hissed at Maple. In turn, the Savannah cat placed her tail on Briarlight's shoulder.

"No worries, kitty cat!" She said with a wink. "Mama is going to make the beast take us back to our nesthold! It isn't very far and doesn't take long to get there anyways."

"Everything's going to be okay from here on out, Briar," SJ put in. She laid down next to the basket on a soft cushion of her own. "Don't let the beast sense your fear, or else it will be a very long ride home from here."

Briarlight knew she was right. So she placed her head down and didn't look outside in the dizzying scenery whizzing by them. Soon, though, the low and loud humming of the monster started taking its toll on her, as was the long journeying to Riley. She closed her eyes allowing herself to trail off into a much needed slumber.

The sound of a loud thump awoke Briarlight. She grumbled, shaking her head of drowsiness. Peering up, she saw Riley had opened the monster's rear, and the other animals had already jumped out of the vehicle. Riley dipped down and picked up the basket, smiling at Briarlight being inside of it.

"Welcome to our nesthold, Briar!" Maple meowed from below. Briarlight gasped at the size of the structured nest. It had to be bigger than ThunderClan itself! The outside was made of wood, though it let off a homey feeling instead of a claustrophobic kind.

Riley opened the door of the nesthold and a wave of warmth swelled over Briarlight's senses. It made the cold air disappear from her body. She looked down to see Maple and SJ run ahead, with Lucinda and King lazily following. Riley was the last one to enter the nesthold, clearly having a sense of courtesy for others.

She set Briarlight's basket down on a long smooth obstacle high off the ground. Riley gave the warrior she-cat another kiss on the head and walked away into another part of the nesthold.

Briarlight suddenly had the urge to yowl out to her, like a hopeless lost kit calling back for its mother. But she held it in and looked around the room. It was large, bigger and more spacey; probably for the animals to run around and enjoy life. Hearing the clicking of claws, she turned to see King and Lucinda jump up on the object that she was currently on, circling three times before lying down. They glanced over at her for a moment, but said nothing as they dipped into a light nap.

She smiled but it quickly turned into a gasp when something cold and wet dipped under her belly. Soon, Maple's head popped out and lifted Briarlight onto her shoulders. "Maple! You scared me!"

"It was nothing, kitty cat," She grinned. "Now, what do you say at taking a little tour of our nesthold? It's probably best to learn your ways around here."

"Sure! That nap made me all antsy," Briarlight smiled. As the Savannah jumped down to the ground, she saw SJ waiting for them with a calm posture. "So where do we begin?" She inquired.

"Everywhere!" Maple giggled, making her laugh too. They truly were odd cats; but good ones nonetheless.

Briarlight was given the grand tour of the nesthold by both she-cats. Wherever they ventured, Maple or SJ would inform everything that could be explained by them. From the kitchen, the den, and the outdoor porch, to the very spacious yard they had and the secluded bedroom where Riley slept with the dogs. They also continued to mention a particular she-cat named Katie. She asked where she could be.

"Katie is almost never here anymore. Not since Lucinda was brought home a few moons ago from the barn after she almost mysteriously was mauled to death."

"She was?"

"Yeah," SJ sighed, "Lucinda limps a little here and there if she's overworked, especially in the winter. Luckily, it's going away and she's getting better."

"That's a relief," The words left Briarlight's mouth, shocking even her. But, after a moment of thinking over them, she realized that somehow the dogs had gotten into her heart in such a sweep. _'I'm such a suck up for them. Soon enough I'll be running around with a collar strapped around my neck.'_ She shuddered at the thought.

"So…is Katie a littermate of yours?" She asked.

"No, she's a nestmate of ours. But she's almost like an older littermate to us," SJ explained as they walked into the kitchen area. Maple jumped up onto the _'dining table'_, careful not to drop Briarlight from her shoulders. "She's much older than us obviously. She's Riley's first cat and was the first cat to come here; she came with King, in fact. They left her mother's nesthold once she was old enough."

"Is Katie the one you got all this wondrous info about the nesthold from?" She asked with a smirk.

Maple puffed out her chest underneath her hold. "Bet your tail! She's the leader of this nesthold. With all the cats that keep popping in and out with Mama's work, she has to maintain some kind of control over the nest. Besides, she's earned the title because she's the oldest and wisest of us all, with the exception of King." That earned a gruff snort from the large male dog.

"When does Riley bring in the cats? Does she just take care of them only?"

"Meadow no! She takes care of so many animals, I've lost count," SJ said proudly, "And almost every time they come out healthy and on their paws towards recovery."

" 'Almost'?" Briarlight felt her insides clench. SJ and Maple gave each other a look.

Maple was the first to speak this time. "Mama sometimes can't save an animal and is forced to place them into Slumber."

"What's that?"

"It's where Mama uses a very strong herb medicine that's painless to the animal she works on. She only uses it when they are extremely ill, in unbearable pain, or dying slowly. The medicine takes them out of their misery and," SJ paused. "puts them into a non-wakable sleep. They die."

"But Mama's only priority when she works is to make the animals not feel so much misery, and sometimes placing them in Slumber is the only solution." Maple jumped in quickly.

"It sounds frightening." Briarlight managed to say.

"We know," The Savannah sighed. "But that's how we've learned so much as well. We have to accept that some things just can't be solved and no pain in a better place is the best we can do. With all the animals that come here, it's a wonder that my brain hasn't exploded."

Briarlight smiled, but it turned into a yawn. It was almost sunrise, and the nap she just had abruptly was wearing off. Maple and SJ grinned at one another before plucking up the tired warrior, walking through the nesthold into the bedroom. There, they saw Riley come in from another, smaller room called the bathroom. Maple meowed first, immediately grabbing the No-Collar's attention.

Riley stopped in her tracks and smiled wearily at the three cats. Bending over, she plucked Briarlight from Maple's shoulders and carried her onto the bed. The warrior was too tired to fight against her, but did sigh in relief once the soft sheets touched her. Snuggling further into them, she felt the bed dip further down at Maple, SJ, and Riley joining her. The two she-cats settled around her, placing one head down on her shoulder and the other under her head.

_"Sleep well, guys." _Riley mumbled out, giving one last scratch behind all their ears. She placed her own head on the pillow and fell asleep, hearing the purrs of the three she-cats.

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**Other than that, the next chapter will introduce Briarlight's experience in a new world and landscape. We'll see how she copes with it ;) **

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**The closest "wild relative" of a Savannah cat is the Serval, a lithe medium-sized hunter of the African savannahs. The prey a Serval eats consist of mainly rats, mice, voles, and hares (with the occasional frogs and lizards); however, much like their domesticated kin, Servals are able to jump insane heights! This come into great hands (or paws XD) when they hunt for birds larger than themselves. With perfectly camouflaged tawny spotted coats, longer lean hind legs, sleek muscled bodies, and finishing with powerful agility, the Serval can fool a fleeing large bird by jumping MORE THAN 9 FEET! (2.7 meters) The highest jump was recorded at 12 FEET! With their size averaging around 21- 26 inches tall shoulder-height and about 25-40 inches long, that's about… 3 times the length of their bodies! WHOA! Some serious vertical power! This is a trait that Savannah cats have in their genes. Although they cannot jump almost 12 feet in the air like the Serval, they can still jump (from the flat ground up) a recorded 8 feet high! And it's all thanks to the expertly familiar body style of their wild cousins and muscular hind legs.**

**Wrapping up this Interesting Fact Time, Servals and Savannah cats dominate the vertical leaps. And it's something well worth going online and watching a few seconds of. It's beauty in disguise~ :) **

**Review if you like the Interesting Fact Time, the story, want to ask questions, or reply to if you want IFT off of here ^^ Until next time~**


	12. Chapter 11

**Nothing to say XD Review please!**

**Enjoy~**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 11**

The next morning brought warm rays of sunshine upon Briarlight's pelt. She sighed, digging further into the cold sheets. Her eyes snapped open.

'_Cold sheets?'_

Briarlight lifted her head to see an indent in the bed, where Riley had slept the night before. Two more were where she'd recalled SJ and Maple sleeping.

_'I wonder where they are?' _She worriedly thought. Knowing it would be suicide to try sliding down from the bed, Briarlight slept on a little longer, waking up again to feel even more refreshed than before. Luckily, as she woke, she heard the door creak open and in poked Maple's head.

She smiled brightly up at Briarlight. "Morning sleepy head! Did you sleep okay?"

Briarlight yawned, stretching her upper body out to get the kinks out of her shoulders. "Better than I'd ever imagine after what we went through. How long have you been up, Maple? And where's SJ?"

The Savannah jumped up onto the bed covers gracefully, still smiling. "To your first question, kitty cat, I've been up since the lick of sunlight reached over those hills in the beyond," She pointed to her tail to the hills that were currently blinded by the sun's power out the window "And to your second question, SJ is downstairs waiting for us for breakfast."

Briarlight allowed the large she-cat to pick her up onto her shoulders. Careful as always, she jumped down to the wooden flooring, squeezing out the door. Maple practically galloped down the stairs, hopping out to the main floor before the last three steps.

"I've got the captive!" Maple yowled, laughing as they entered the kitchen.

"Good work, Maple, bring her up so that she can eat." SJ called back. The Savannah jumped onto the dining table, revealing SJ waiting patiently for them. Briarlight got down from her friend's back and looked at the bowl in front of her with curiosity and slight disgust.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Eggs, bacon, and cooked chicken meat and liver. Mama made it all for us. Each one of us has a healthy meal to eat. I hope you'll like yours. Go on and try it!" SJ pushed the bowl towards Briarlight with her nose encouragingly.

The food smelt good, but Briarlight still was unsure, seeing as how she was used to eating a real freshkill instead of something…different. Shrugging, she leaned in and took a large bite of the food, chewing it thoroughly. A purr escaped when the flavorful tastes exploded in her mouth. Swallowing gratefully, the warrior sighed in bliss.

"That was delicious! Very rich and juicy meat." She commented.

"Good! Because it would be a sheer waste of scrumptious food parts if you didn't like it. Oh, and we would've thought you had no taste whatsoever then." Maple said with a full mouth, swallowing when SJ's tail smacked behind her head. She grinned innocently, which received her rolling eyes.

The three finished up their meals, ending it in grooming each other before Briarlight could ask any questions. It was soothing to be sharing tongues with new friends. As she groomed the back of Maple, SJ licked her thoroughly on the head, her tongue sweeping in long strokes.

"So where is Riley?" She finally asked, pulling away from both of them.

"Didn't you know? She's at work." Maple replied.

"When did she leave?"

"At the lick of sunrise. The dogs and us wake up when she wakes up." The Savannah paused, her face twisting up a little. "Now that I think about it, Mama doesn't get up that late most of the time. We're always up before the sunrise."

"Doesn't it bother you?" Briarlight couldn't believe they woke up so early, with hardly any sleep. She knew ThunderClan had night patrols—heck she almost got caught by one!—but even they got some decent sleep afterwards.

"Not in particular. If it happens in more than three or four days, then yeah it would bother us. But Riley can't help it. With the extended job that she does—helping farmers with their horses, wild cats, and other livestock animals, as well as for the clinic standing as the boss there—Mama almost never has a straight and organized schedule with her clients."

"How does she do it then? I mean, has she ever just fallen asleep on the job before with the amount of sleep she's not getting?" It seemed almost impossible to think, a No-Collar working non-stop on animals and not taking care of herself.

"Mama has some kind of liquid all the time she calls coffee. It's not very tasty though, but it keeps her going for the whole day almost. There's not one day that goes by that she doesn't come home and just collapse on the sofa in exhaustion. She works hard for her living, to keep her nesthold and food in her and our stomachs. She loves us very much, and we love her just as much because of the gifts she gives us every day we breathe here." SJ explained, all the while a smile implanted on her face.

"That's amazing," Was all Briarlight could say. She looked around, suddenly noticing now that the dogs were nowhere to be seen. "Where are King and Lucinda?"

"They left with Mama for the barn! I can't wait to show you the barn! It's so cool and a great place for our wild cat friends to stay." Maple said eagerly, jumping up and down excitedly.

"She owns a barn too?"

"Indeed, Briar. She takes care of the wild animals there too. And Mama has other No-Collars helping her while she's on the job."

"Great StarClan! Does Riley ever slow down?" Briarlight exclaimed as they jumped down from the dining table and went outside onto the porch. A cool morning breeze filled with various new scents enthralled her in the moment.

"We've asked ourselves that many times. I lost count at fifty." Maple laughed.

_'I never knew that a No-Collar like Riley worked as hard—possibly harder—as warriors or medicine cats in the Clans.' _Briarlight thought. "So…what do we do now?"

"Well, I can show you the backyard and forest area. It's where Mama takes care of wild animals, like deer or foxes; and we have a problem with that sometimes," SJ mumbled. "Besides, this'll be a great time for you to stretch your legs before Mama starts her curing session on you."

She must've seen the terrified look in Briarlight's eyes, because she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry too much, Briar. Riley is the best solution to it. And if it doesn't work out correctly, you'll always be the same cat to us, no matter what."

Briarlight nodded, feeling a little better. "Okay."

They took the steps down to the grassy yard slowly, hearing Maple call behind them, saying she was going to take a nap on the porch. Despite the Oriental mix being slightly shorter than her Savannah sister, SJ still was bigger than Briarlight and easily carried her on her back. They chatted among one another as they entered the forest several treelengths from the nesthold.

It felt like Briarlight was stepping back into home again. Only it was…better in some way. Sliding down SJ's back, Briarlight took in her surroundings with awe. The trees were bare still, though she could see tiny indications of life popping out from the bits of snow layered branches. The ground had melted with the warmer weather, though heavier patches were scattered here and there. Briarlight took in a deep breath, sighing longingly with the scents of familiarity. Fresh. Free. Away from inclosure.

"I knew you would like this," SJ said coming to sit next to her. "Whenever Maple and I can't get to the other forest—your home—we come here. It's fun to get out of the nesthold sometimes and live on the real wild side. Not that back inside isn't fun. Mama keeps us very entertained or else we would be making so much trouble."

"I bet," Briarlight chuckled. "Are there any prey here?"

"Sure are. I can hear the creek up ahead, meaning there's some fish probably swimming through it. I'll go and catch us a mouse or two to feast on. Meet me by the creek." SJ smiled at Briarlight's nod and scampered away. The warrior she-cat dragged herself over to the edge of the creek, peering down at the small minnows swimming under a thin layer of ice.

A feeling deep within Briarlight's belly surged upwards, almost choking her. The urge to hunt, to kill a prey—even one as small as the minnows—was present inside her now. Holding still, Briarlight leaned her weight on one paw and waited for a moment to pass. A minnow came into her view and she whipped her paw down and broke the ice.

However, when she tried to bring her paw back up, her leg slipped out from underneath her and cause her to splash into the creek. She coughed and gasped at the sudden chill piercing through her fur. Briarlight shivered furiously, trying to bring warmth back into her body as she struggled to get out of the measly creek. She hissed at it and the fact that she didn't obtain a simple minnow, shaking out the water clutching to her fur and rapidly grooming herself.

Briarlight felt embarrassed, ashamed at herself again, and worse; downright weak. She stared into a broken pieced reflection of herself, seeing the same sorrow expression that peered back up at her. Anger fogged her mind, and she threw repeated strikes at the reflection, not stopping even when her paw slammed against a sharp stone on the bottom.

Finally, after a while she stopped her beatings. Panting, she looked down at her bleeding paw, and began licking it dry but wincing at the coppery taste of her own blood. The air became quieter again, the birds resuming her chirping sounds and the creek bubbling softly below her.

"What if Riley's work doesn't heal me like everyone is saying? What will I do then?" She whispered to herself.

"Something troubles your mind," It was a statement, not a question. Briarlight didn't move as SJ walked up next to her, setting down two plump mice. "Am I right?"

Knowing it was futile to lie to SJ, Briarlight merely nodded. The Oriental mix cocked her head, staring at her friend quietly. She peered down at the untouched mouse, her face furrowing in puzzlement. She pushed it closer to Briarlight as a test, but the warrior she-cat didn't even give the fresh-kill a glance, like it disgusted her.

That's when SJ saw caught Briarlight's paw blood-coated, though the redness was already drying up in the warming breeze.

Briarlight continued to gaze down at her broken reflection, unfazed by anything but her shame. She appeared grimmer, frowning deeper. "What's wrong, Briar?" She gave pause again, but nothing was her answer. "Are you mad at me?"

"StarClan, no!" Briarlight instantly objected. "You've done nothing wrong, SJ! And neither has Maple. In fact, you've done more for me than any cat can ask for to me, and I respect that with my heart."

"Then what is angering you, kitty cat?" SJ persisted softly. "I can't help you unless you explain what troubles you so."

"I…I'm mad because…because…" Briarlight's voice tightened. "I'm mad at myself because I can't do anything. I can't hunt, can't protect, can't even fight correctly!" She took another hit at the creek, but a paw caught hers.

"I know that's a lie," Briarlight turned to SJ, who brought her paw back up away from the water. "Yes, I understand you can't hunt say a rabbit or a squirrel, but I know you can protect yourself and fight too. You may have two front paws and no back legs for support, but that doesn't mean you're powerless. You just have to be smarter and more cunning. Observe."

SJ set herself in the same position as Briarlight was in, her back legs sprawled limply behind her. She held her body still, breathing slowly and concentrating on one spot in the creek. Briarlight watched her curiously.

Then, without warning, SJ swiped down at the water, unsheathing her claws in the little time she did so. And in her paw struggled a fairly big minnow. At Briarlight's shocked and questioning look, SJ smiled. "You can't be great at everything, Briar. But you can learn from others and your mistakes to become a better someone," She ate the minnow quickly before continuing, "You have to think ahead and strike at the right moment. Go ahead and try it."

Briarlight got into the same position, breathing in deeply. SJ nudged her paws farther apart. "Don't place your whole strength down on your shoulders and forepaws. You'll lose your balance and mobility quicker. Good…now breathe slower. Even the fish can sense you breathing when this close up. Good job…lean back a little more…"

The warrior drowned out all the other sounds around her, even SJ's becoming a muffle in her mind. She imagined herself balancing on all four paws, her legs had regained mobility, staring at the tiniest of fishes. She saw movement from the corner of her eye and she instinctively swooped in just like SJ had done so. She hadn't realized that her eyes had been closed through the whole ordeal.

When she opened them, she saw a minnow lodged on her claws, wriggling effortlessly. Her heart soared. "I-I did it!"

"Congrats, Briar. You've just outsmarted a sneaky prey. Enjoy the food." SJ smiled proudly. Briarlight ate the minnow, even after she had just had breakfast, it tasted so fresh and divine.

She wanted to fish some more, but she found her body very tired, so instead SJ and her slept off their meals and exhaustion in the forest. Soon, the sun was beginning its descent through the sky. Briarlight was the first to wake up, though she was met with a most unusual sight.

"What are you doing here, Billie?" She whispered.

The beautiful silver tabby she-cat smiled. "Is that the way you kits say hi nowadays?" She chuckled. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Every other time, it seems Amy is doing the talking."

"Yeah. Have you've heard from Amy at all?" Briarlight asked, distinctively remembering the vague voice of the tortoiseshell back in the woods.

To her disappointment, Billie shook her head. "I haven't dear. Amy hasn't been reporting like she promised she would. Even I am worried for her. Then again, I've been worrying for her for many, many seasons."

"Reporting?"

"But that's for later worrying," Billie didn't seemed to have heard her. "What concerns me is how you're doing here. Do you like Riley?"

"Yes I…wait, how do you know her name?" Billie didn't respond, though the answer was in her eyes. "You were her cat too weren't you?"

"Correct. So were my mates, Deidre and Todd. As well as…Amy."

Briarlight couldn't fathom the truth. _'So that's why they wanted me to go to her. They had already trusted her, and even watch over her after all these moons?' _She sighed. Knowing Amy so far, it wasn't too much of a shock that she hid away her past life from her.

"I hope you learn to love her as we all had come to. She's…a magical creature. One that is rare among her type of society of No-Collars," Billie said with a sad smile. "I must go now. She will be waking soon…"

Before Briarlight could object to her departure, the elder she-cat faded into the air silently. She heard SJ grumble sleepily, her eyes squinting open. She yawned, stretching her limbs outward and standing up. She peered at Briarlight as she licked her paw. "How did you sleep?"

"Okay. And you?"

"Woke up just as I caught a juicy rabbit. Looked good and probably would've tasted even better," SJ chuckled. "You ready to head back? Mama should be home soon. I'm so excited for you to see the farm."

"Tonight?"

"Not likely, but around very early in the morning in a few days. Hope you'll be ready."

SJ carried Briarlight back to the nesthold, where they saw the monster in the flatroad. Dog claws were clicking in the kitchen. Riley was home. Briarlight got down from her friend's back and was met with Lucinda's slurp kisses to the face. At first, she hissed and tried to back away, but she saw SJ smiling reassuringly and endured the salivated licks till she was dripping with it. Briarlight felt hot with embarrassment as Riley laughed from above her.

"Welcome back Briar!" Maple chirped and nudged the wet warrior over to the cushion on the ground. "Mama's making a quick linner for us all."

"Linner?"

"It's having a meal between sunhigh and sundown. It's a term that No-Collars use." SJ explained as Briarlight settled down in the cushion on the floor. Riley said something to her, but she couldn't understand her again. Then the No-Collar set a plate down that had pellets in it.

"What's this?" She meowed.

"Dry cat food. Mama only makes us eat when she doesn't have the time to make our meals for us or if she knows when we'll go out and hunt." Maple said, mouth muffled up with her own dry food. "It's not the best, but it's still pretty good for some mysterious reason."

Briarlight sniffed her dish, recoiling a little when no good scent came from it. She took one brown pellet into her mouth and chewed thoroughly. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good or delicious either. And yet, it was filling her up pleasantly. She ate only a little and left the kitchen to lie down on the porch, seeing as King was there too. He didn't glance her way, as his eyes were closed in exhaustion.

A chuckle came from behind her, jolting King awake. But he didn't seemed surprise when Riley strolled out onto the porch and collapsed on the hammock out there with a grateful sigh. Briarlight dragged herself closer, noticing how Riley relished in the soaking of the fading sunlight and relaxing her aching muscles from a grueling day of work.

Riley peered down at Briarlight and grunted slightly, bending down and picking the crippled she-cat with her strong hands. She placed Briarlight near her heart and rubbed her head, saying something still not understandable to the cat's ears. Nonetheless, Briarlight placed her head on Riley's chest, sighing as the warmth enveloped her.

Riley chuckled again, but didn't move Briarlight from her position. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw SJ and Maple watching them from the kitchen with what seemed like proud gleaming in their amber and green eyes. Briarlight felt the motherly comfort course through her veins, knowing Riley was thinking of something happy and worth protecting.

Gravity suddenly fell away as Riley stood up, holding onto Briarlight, even though the she-cat now had her claws latched tightly onto her shirt. Riley never wavered in her comfort, only giving a few soft whispers into her ear as she walked into a room white and bland compared to the rest of the nesthold. Briarlight swallowed the lump forming in her mouth, but it stopped invisibly in her throat. The whole room smelt sharp and disgusting, like it had been washed clean of sweet and spicy smells she vividly remembered in the kitchen.

She was placed down on top of something metal and cold, making her breathe faster. A hand on her head stopped her from moving away, followed by more whispers and rubbing of her shoulders. Riley then massaged the she-cat's neck with three claws, smoothing out the bristling fur on Briarlight's body. She never stopped in her humming and whispering.

Briarlight heard the door creak open. Maple and SJ were strolling in, though stopped directly in front of the door. Both had comfort smiles on their faces, but didn't come closer.

Riley took out what Maple yowled to her was called a _'stethoscope'_ and began hearing Briarlight's heartbeat. Briarlight was shocked as to how cold things were now in the room. The feel of something alien against her chest and her upper belly made her squirm. She breathed a sigh of relief when the odd object left her body, however Riley brought the uncomfortable feeling back when she began squeezing here and there around Briarlight's belly and sides. The fear grew worse when Riley felt Briarlight's legs and back, which she couldn't feel.

_"Shh…I promise on my life, brave one, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise,"_ Riley's words made sense to Briarlight again. No hesitation was in them; the No-Collar was serious but calm together. _"Just…relax…"_

Heartbeats passed and Briarlight didn't know what was going on. Then something faintly went through her; she didn't know what it was exactly. It felt like an oncoming twitch, or scratch possibly, but she didn't do anything at her uncertainty. However, it grew slowly, becoming more like a nuisance to her. Her fur bristled, almost as if ticks and insects were crawling all over her.

A sharp pain caused her to snarl, whipping around and slashing at—shockingly enough—Riley's hand. But the No-Collar moved out of reach, like she had expected Briarlight to do just that. Briarlight watched a proud smile float across the female's face, as if whatever she had done was an accomplishment. Riley spoke once more, but nothing was liable to understand again. She walked away, holding something very small and almost invisible to the naked eye had it not been for the reflecting light that came off of it.

"Maple? SJ? What did she do to me?" She yowled down at the sisters, only to see that they had the same sunny-filled smile as Riley had.

"Well, my dear friend Briar, she was testing your muscle reactions with that there pin she carries."

"Clarify please." Briarlight grumbled irately. The Oriental mix and Savannah she-cat pounced onto the metal table next to the warrior.

"She was checking your feet and back for reaction timing. She calls something odd like _'acupuncture_? It's hard to say, so we call it 'needle feeling'. It's where Mama takes a needle pin or two and pricks you lightly with it," Maple explained. "You can't feel it in the slightest. Then she turns it with her claws, touching the most sensitive parts of an animal's muscles. What you did a few seconds before is about the same as other cats do, especially the ones with trouble walking."

Briarlight's heart skipped a beat, her body growing light with anticipation. "So…you think…no, it can't be…"

SJ placed her tail on the she-cat's shoulder. "It may not seem possible, Briar, but I can assure you right here and now—as can Riley and Maple—that whatever the fallen tree did to you, it didn't completely paralyze your lower self. The needle feeling session just proves it even more. You can't feel your legs probably because your muscles contracted at the same impact of the tree's pressure, breaking bones in your back and legs."

"But isn't it because of my broken back that caused my inability to walk?"

SJ shook her head and shrugged. "We'll see in a sec."

Riley came back with no needles in her paws. She lifted Briarlight up a little, setting her back down with her body stretched out, back legs sprawled limply behind her. Riley shooed Maple and SJ off the table as Briarlight heard something wind up loudly, and a bright light flashed unexpectedly, making her see stars in her vision. As Briarlight tried to see straight again, Riley left the room yet again, mumbling incoherently.

"To answer your silent question, Briar, Mama just took a picture of your body. The picture will see through your fur, skin and partially your muscles and show the skeleton, or bone structure, of your body. That's where we'll see if your back is the cause of your disability. Mama's got such a sharp eye at finding what is wrong with animals!"

"Does she do the same for No-Collars?"

Maple let out a yowl of laughter. "Yeah, when pigs will fly! There's a proud reason why Mama never became an Herbal Shaman for other No-Collars," She chuckled uncontrollably. "Mama loves animals and rarely is around other No-Collars. She's quite shy around her kind, feeling as if she's an outsider and not accepted into a group."

"Oh." Briarlight mumbled.

Riley came back with three blue, transparent square-like obstacles in her paws. She winked at the three cats and put them up against something poking out from the wall. She clicked a button and the thing glowed a bright white color, making the pictures look far more visible. It revealed the sight of Briarlight's backbones, ribs, leg bones, and even a part of her skull.

Something in Riley's eyes brightened, along with a huge smile appearing. She peered closer at the pictures, her whole face glowing in the intense luminescing light. The No-Collar was completely entrapped in her thinking, and Briarlight took the opportunity to nudge SJ in the side, asking what was Riley saying.

"She's saying that your bone here," SJ showed the warrior by poking right in the middle of her back with her claw, almost identical to the picture showing her backbones "isn't the cause of your disability! In fact, look closely." Though it was far from them, the bones glowed bright enough for Briarlight to see a bone a little bit more oddly formed than the rest. There was a small space between each bone as they grew smaller going down to her tail. "You see that odd bone, Briar? That's the bone that fractured when the tree must've hit you. Bone naturally can heal itself, even something as sensitive as a backbone. However, it is much trickier and could be deadly, because each backbone serves a purpose in helping the spinal cord; you stay upright, breathe, and even live. So if one bone forms back into place but in a bad way, it could be dangerous for the host.

"And yet, with these pictures shown, your backbone is fully healed into its relatively normal formation. You're very, very lucky Briar. Mama's saying now how it's probably your legs that are the cause of your inability to walk."

"My legs?"

"Yep. Looks to me that the bones of both your upper and lower sections of your hindquarters are busted up pretty badly. Your hipbones are fractured too in some places and aren't healing up properly. Mama may have to do surgery to help speed up the recovery…but that's for later times. Mama's going to make a schedule for you to go in." SJ smiled excitedly. Never had she been this excited for anything, even for hunting.

Briarlight was that way too. Her heart couldn't slow down even if she tried. All this time, Jayfeather and the others said it was her back breaking that cause her inability to walk. But no, it had already healed up, and her legs and hips were the reason for her numbness internal pain. It seemed as if now Briarlight could breathe that far-too-long-waited sight of relief.

She knew now that she could have a higher chance in getting her legs back for good.

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**WHOA! The truth is out. Well…what I think is the truth of Briarlight's inability to walk. It's actually true; you can break your back and it can heal itself. In this story, Briarlight's back was broken, luckily, in the wrong way; BUT IN A GOOD WAY! What I mean is that the tree must've hit one of the lesser of the bones, not causing as much damage. Rather, it was the hindlegs that took the beating and were healing not properly. This can happen to animals and humans. I've researched it and asked my nurse grandmother (she's a genius)**

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**That's right! Cats can eat human food as a diet. Many cat-owners, or **_**ailurophiles,**_** may give their cats different human food items. The healthiest kinds that are recommended by some vets are Fish, Eggs, Pork, and Chicken. Fish is a natural prey to cats in the wild, so it makes sense that domesticated cats can have a healthy diet off of fish. However, give too much Fish, it actually starts to deplete a cat's supply of Vitamin E. Eggs should be cooked, not given raw due to the dangers and health threats for cats, like E coli or Salmonella. It's also cautioned to ALL cat owners to check up on whether or not your cats are allergic to eggs or various other treats you give them (yes, there are cases of egg-allergic cats or lactose-intolerant of cow milk or goat milk) Pork, such as bacon, cooked well can be healthy too. Chicken is highly recommended out of all the meats that you can give to a cat. Cooked well, it is VERY nutritious for our feline companions. However, consuming too much can cause obesity. **

**Wrapping this up, healthy, meat-related human food items are amongst a cat's favorite delicacies. Just don't feed them too much :D**

**Comment if you like or have questions~**


	13. Chapter 12

**Here's another chapter. I have to give thanks to **_**The Author in the TARDIS **_**for saying that I should continue with Interesting Fact Time. No one else has gone against it as of yet, so I'll keep doing it. Trust me; I've found SO many interesting things to talk about, I don't think I'll have enough chapters to tell them XD**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter~ **

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 12**

His paws were sore from walking all this time. The rocks back in the mountains had done him well, and now he winced every time he had to put pressure on them. But he wouldn't stop, not until he was in the safety of his Clan again.

"Hurry up, Jayfeather! We're almost home!" Foxleap said excitedly, with Dovewing by his side.

Jayfeather could smell the hesitation in Dovewing. Foxleap had told him the night that Swoop of Chestnut Hawk was taken by a huge eagle, and how they tried to get her back with no prevail. From that day forth, Dovewing was so off track, scared at nearly everything that popped out without her noticing.

_'She's strong. She has to be. For the sake of the Clan,'_ He told himself. Yes, it was a true pity to lose a fine tribe cat like Swoop, but they were in the past—unfortunately—and right now they couldn't afford living in the past nightmares. _'She'll have to move on, or else she won't be focus in protecting her Clan.'_

"Jayfeather! You're walking slower than usual. Come on!" Even Foxleap seemed to be in a hurry to get home. The snow had melted days before, making travelling a lot harder with puddles and mud pits that he would fall into. Squirrelflight tried to help kindly, but he would hiss at her to leave him be, resulting in her retorting that she was just trying to be helpful.

Though he didn't show it, Jayfeather was more than ready to be home, waiting to be enclosed by all the familiar smells of ThunderClan. He even missed the outcast, unknown smells of WindClan and ShadowClan territory. It was so much better than walking almost in a stranded way out in the middle of nowhere. Helping the tribe and telling them stories about the Clans had been fun and all, but living in those stories for real was where he belonged.

"I see it! I see WindClan territory!" Foxleap almost squealed in delight. Jayfeather looked over at Dovewing, blind by sight, but seeing her memories of ThunderClan. Everything from her happy moments and not so happy moments in it. She had mentioned to him before how loud the world seemed in the tribe, and how barren it was once leaving those loud noises. In the forest, her home wasn't so wide and vastly scarce.

"Race ya to the border of ThunderClan guys!" Foxleap shouted. Before any of them could register his words completely, he took off, but Dovewing was right behind him. Even Dovewing was eager to give the chase into WindClan territory. However, Squirrelflight was the only one standing back with him. She walked a few paces ahead, one that he could slowly walk to. Jayfeather could sense the proudness radiating off her soul, but a tint of sadness was still floating around in her clouded mind; of how she was forced to reveal she wasn't Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf's real mother.

Jayfeather tilted his head back and sniffed the air, taking in the fresh air and prey emerging out from the soil of WindClan. Leafbare had been long, hard, though not as brutal as others. A smile pricked the corner of his lip. They were close.

Squirrelflight and he walked on until they had crossed from one end of WindClan through to the other side. Once on the ThunderClan-WindClan border, they saw Foxleap and Dovewing all panting hard, laughing joyfully.

Squirrelflight chuckled. "You should've taken a breather halfway, you two." She said.

"No way!" Foxleap shook his head frantically. "I would not let her win so easily. Got to show her how it's done."

"Yeah right!" Dovewing snorted. "You couldn't outrun me! I beat you by a foxlength."

"You just got lucky." He mumbled under his breath.

"Can we pick up the pace? We still have a ways to go to ThunderClan." Jayfeather said coldly, continuing ahead and not waiting for any of them. The three looked at one another in confusion, but brushed his harsh remark off and went to catch up.

Jayfeather's insides were bristling with excitement, but he kept his cool around the others. With each step he took, the forest grew closer to him, till it would consume around him. He smiled mentally, stepping with ease around the rocks, dips, twigs, and branches on the ground.

He heard Dovewing stop, as if she was trying to listen for something. The medicine tom stopped, perking up his ears to hear Dovewing smelling the air with interest.

"Something wrong, Dovewing?" Foxleap came up beside her. Her face conjured into a frown.

"Maybe she smells a squirrel but can't tell where it is," Squirrelflight teased. "We should hunt for ThunderClan and bring them fresh prey as a gift of our return."

"Good idea, Squirrelflight!" Foxleap smiled. He nudged the dark ginger she-cat. "Let's go hunt closer by ShadowClan border. We'll find some good voles there."

Jayfeather nodded, waiting till he couldn't hear them any longer. He turned to Dovewing. "What do you smell? Is another Clan member around?" He whispered. But the gray she-cat didn't answer him, her attention on smelling the air.

Her eyes snapped open in disbelief. "It smells…but it's so faint, older and…washed away. No…it isn't," She shook her head. "I'm imagining things now."

"What are you talking about? What did you smell?" His frustration was getting the better of him.

"It's nothing!" She hissed quietly, careful not to alert the others if close by. Dovewing turned away from the medicine tom. "I'm going hunting with the others. Be back in a bit."

He didn't stop her as she, too, disappeared from him reach. But he'd heard the urgent escape of his constant questions in her footsteps. Jayfeather sighed in distress, knowing he shouldn't hound her for answers so. "Guess I'll search for herbs, in case they get hurt." He grumbled to no one in particular.

Though newleaf had emerged in the lake territories, most of the herbs and plants still needed time to thaw out from leafbare's snow. As Jayfeather searched, his mind drifted back to when he was in the Tribe. Only it wasn't them that he was thinking about; he thought about when he was with the Ancients.

With Half Moon as Jay's Wing.

His heart beat faster remembering how beautiful, graceful and flawless Half Moon had been. Her rich forest eyes brightening up whenever they were with one another. He knew she had loved him, regardless if he was Jay's Wing; and he had come to love her just as well.

Oh, how he wanted to stay in the past, mend the Ancients into the strong Tribe as they were now, grow old with Half Moon, be her mate, be the father of her kits. He wished to enjoy every second he breathed with her by his side until his last one blew from his lungs. But he knew he couldn't, and Rock had made sure that he was persuaded enough to come back to the present; to reality. Here, his code forced him away from any chance in his dreams with a mate, from any of those possibilities that his other Clan members dutifully loved being a part of. Here, none of it would come true to him.

Because of his powers and destiny as both one of the Three and a medicine cat.

The small tom didn't realize that the ground stooped a little, till his paws shifted over the pebbles and rocks of the lakeside. Jayfeather tried to feel for the stick, but ever since he had broken it all those moons ago, he hadn't been able to find it. He sighed, his head throbbing painfully.

Then he remembered the ginger. The one he had promised Briarlight in burying for future use. Stupid as it seemed then, he had regarded Briarlight's words once he had left the medicine den that day. He had buried it, though never really believed that it would grow through the frost.

Standing, Jayfeather moved about till his paw touched the clumped dirt. He could feel a small seedling sprouting out into the fresh air. He sniffed it, identifying the sweet sugary scent it gave off, even if it was faint.

"Well I'll be…she was right after all," Jayfeather muttered softly. It still bothered him how Briarlight had found the ginger so unexpectedly. He knew she was smart, but he never gave her instructions on ginger ever; StarClan, he didn't even know there was such thing!

"Jayfeather! There you are!" Squirrelflight's voice brought him back from his thinking. The gray tabby turned around, smelling a dead sparrow in Squirrelflight's mouth. "We're ready to head into ThunderClan camp." He could hear the excitement flooding out of the dark ginger she-cat.

Nodding, Jayfeather instinctively gave one more look down at the ginger seedling and walked with Squirrelflight into the forest again. Once there, he searched for plants as they trotted along, gathering remaining cobwebs, borage leaves, and dried up beech leaves of the departing leafbare. They met up with Dovewing, and Foxleap, who had obtained plump prey.

Taking in an uneasy breath, Jayfeather and the others reached ThunderClan camp's entrance. The smells of his Clanmates overwhelmed him for a moment, and he heard chattering rise as they went in.

"Jayfeather! Foxleap! Dovewing! Squirrelflight! You're back!" Everyone gathered around them, immediately swarming with questions about the Tribe and the mountains. He shoved his way through, feeling closed up and too crowded to talk. He heard the steps of Brambleclaw and Firestar come close.

"Welcome back, warriors," Firestar said rather solemnly. Immediately, Jayfeather sensed something was wrong. He could smell the distress that his leader and Brambleclaw set off.

"What's going on? Was anyone hurt while I was gone?"

Firestar said nothing. Only the flick of his tail instructed Jayfeather to follow him. When Lionblaze broke away from the crowd in pursuit, Firestar simply looked at him, stopping the golden tabby tom in his steps.

The leader led Jayfeather, with Brambleclaw beside him, into his den. But they weren't the only ones in there. Jayfeather realized that there were others; Graystripe, Millie, Blossomfall, and Bumblestripe were present too.

"What's wrong, Firestar?" He asked again, feeling something cold form in the depths of his stomach.

Firestar sat next to Graystripe, sighing tiredly. "You remember leaving the camp with those chosen to go with you, correct Jayfeather?" Jayfeather nodded slowly. "Do you recall any cat following you? Was there anything unusual in the air?"

Again, Jayfeather shook his head, confused beyond words, as well as afraid. "Squirrelflight and Foxleap kept watch, as did Dovewing. We neither saw, smelt, nor heard anything suspicious. What coul—"

He didn't get the full sentence out when Millie wailed in sorrow, tears falling from her eyes. "I knew it! She's gone! _**She's really gone**_!" Jayfeather could smell Blossomfall and Bumblestripe crying too.

The lump in his stomach grew cold and large. "Wait…where's," He paused, sniffing the air, "where's Briarlight?"

No one spoke, only the sounds of Graystripe's family's sobbing were heard. Finally, Brambleclaw answered, "Briarlight is gone, Jayfeather…She'd disappeared."

He couldn't breathe. "What? That…that can't be," His voice shook, startling him. "She's…she's in the medicine den, helping Leafpool and Brightheart right now, I know it." The words felt and tasted false on his tongue, making him disgusted with himself.

"No, Jayfeather. I mean Briarlight is really _gone_. Three days after you and the others left for the Tribe of Rushing Waters, Briarlight inconspicuously vanished from the camp, probably during the night considering Leafpool and Brightheart never saw her leave. And somehow, she had left without disturbing the other cats or alerting the night patrols of that night. It's puzzled us all and we had thought she had gone after you, Jayfeather. However, you proved us wrong completely. Now we really don't know where she is."

Something deep inside of him was breaking apart, and he didn't know what until it slammed into him head-on. She had been one of his close friends, with the exception of his brother, Ivypool, Brightheart, and Dovewing. Not only that, she had been the one who looked up to him because of her weakness. Briarlight enjoyed him, and never meant to hurt him.

_'What if my words and my actions pushed her away? Made her leave us forever and get…'_ He couldn't even bring himself to believing that sinister thought. Jayfeather bowed his head and forced out, "So you're telling me she's been gone for almost a quarter-moon?"

"Yes, that's what we're saying. No trace was found of her anywhere. We questioned a WindClan and a ShadowClan border patrol if they had even seen a cat cross their territory, though we didn't express that it was one of our own. Both patrols said no, but would keep watch for one. But…" Brambleclaw stopped, looking at Firestar for guidance to continue. The ginger tom nodded. "but we found some blood…"

Jayfeather's brain threw out the rest of what Brambleclaw was explaining. His heart froze, the blood seemingly going out of whack. An image of Briarlight's form sprawled out limply, blood soaking into the snowy grass, a glassy look of horror implanted on her face as she had been mauled.

"Where was it?" He breathed, digging his claws into the ground till the pain of it grew numb.

"We found the blood splatters not too far from our side of the forest from ShadowClan. The snowfall of that night had covered up the tracks and blocked the scent of Briarlight, making it impossible to search for her." Firestar said, watching Jayfeather stiffen up impossibly more. It seemed a blow of air would make the tom tumble over. "I'm so sorry, Jayfeather. She was an amazing cat, one that will be honored with invaluable love from us all for all the time that comes."

Numbly, Jayfeather nodded. "Yes. Yes, you're right. She was a…a great cat." He got up and began walking out, each step suddenly weighing him down. But he mustered up some kind of strength and walked slowly into the medicine den, avoiding conflict with his brother or Leafpool or Brightheart.

All he needed was sleep. Then, with a lot of deep hope, he would wake from this dream-quickly-turned-nightmare.

He collapsed in his nest, smelling her scent from her own empty and cold nest. He knew if Briarlight was here right, she would've scolded him for being so dirty, laughing as he merely scoffs at her, brushing her present off like a fly.

But now, he felt so alone. Tears unexpectedly fell from his blind blue eyes, causing him to shut them tightly, a sob choking in his throat. His best friend was gone, and he didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

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**BoomBoomBOOM! The hits of shock will drive you nuts here! XD I have to admit, this was actually a harder chapter to write up. Though there has been a good time skip in the book between Jayfeather leaving and coming back, I felt that I needed to write this. I assumed there was at least a quarter-moon time skip. Meaning—Briarlight has been in the nesthold for a little while to get use to it. Don't hate me for it completely, but it makes a shitload more sense than having Jayfeather be gone for three days (ironically it takes him around that time to get to the mountains in the first place) and suddenly come back out of nowhere. This story is supposed to be following as closely as possible to the real books, with some adjustments so that it portrays mainly around Briarlight's POV away from the Clans. **

**Even though this isn't in the IFT section, I'm saying it so that no people come at me and shout, "Cats can't cry! What were you thinking?!" I KNOW THEY CANT CRY IN REAL LIFE! But I'm repeating; This. Is. A. Story. Stories, especially fantasy and sci-fi ones, are meant by all means to screw and twist the original knowledge of reality and place them into their plotlines. I always hated how in the Warrior books, they just had the cats collapse and shudder in mourning. Hell no! If you're gonna make cats almost human like—with their ability to talk and other such things—you should give them the ability to cry too! It brings more emotions into the setting :) **

**And what was the scent Dovewing could've smelt? Got an answer? Say it in the review please! B) **

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**As mentioned as a term in the very beginning of the entire story, the real and correct term for a group of cats is call a "clowder". Odd as it may sound, it's the truth. And "clowder" isn't the only term valid for a group of more than two cats; some call them a "clutter" or "glaring". That's right; the one term you would think posts a negative look (literally) at another person is in fact also a term for a group of cats! Now, if we dig down into more specific pointing fingers, we can find out that if you want to correctly call a group of ****wild**** cats, the terms are "dowt" and "destruction". I know; the ironic of both a "glaring" of cats and "destruction" of cats is incredible! But the truth is written here for you, my dear fans. Now let's pull away from group terms and find some other interesting things of a clowder. A male cat—low and behold—when neutered is called a "gib" (Yep, Gibbs name lives on with the term for ball-less male cats XD Don't get me wrong I love the show and Gibbs) When a male isn't neutered, they are called just "tom". But for the story wise, I decided to keep every male referred to as a "tom" so confusion doesn't erupt when I call one neutered male a "gib" out of the blue. Moving to females, a she-cat—wild or domesticated—is known as a "molly". Many people do not know why they are called "molly" (because you don't hear your neighbor talking about his beautiful "molly" every day, do you?) but the name has stuck for quite a while now. Some believe it was mainly given to them for breeder reasons; a female cat who is in heat or is with kits is called a "queen". "Molly" then obviously comes in when a female cat is NOT in heat or is spayed for them then :)**

**Wrapping this up, cats actually have various different meanings for who they are and what their status of sexuality rates are. Just to clear up from all the typing;**

**Correct term for group of cats (unspecified)= **clowder/clutter/glaring

**Correct term for group of **_**wild**_** cats= **dowt/destruction

**Male cats + neutered= **gib

**Male cat + not neutered= **tom

**Female cat + domestic/wild/not in heat/spayed= **molly

**Female cat + in heat/with kits= **queen

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one needs some adjustments and there will be a break off from it because I need to write up a ref sheet for the chapter. Odd it is, yes, but I need it for YOU GUYS! You'll understand what I mean in a few days :D **

**Until next time~**


	14. Interlude: The Barns & Barn Cats

***Take NOTE! This is to be placed in the story for a reason! I don't want to be confused by the new cats, and neither do you, my fair audience/readers. This is to clear up on who's who and what they stand in the barns. YES; the barns are sort of like the Clans! I've researched that many cats do tend to work, hunt, and live better/longer (there was a talk about it) in clowders. They have their own leaders, who guide them around. I've considered Briarlight meeting another "Clan-type" group that Maple and SJ are part of, rather than explaining boring and unnecessary details of a lazy kittypet and their lives :P. It sparks interest. **

**I caution you all that these barn cats possess ****no relations**** to the Clan whatsoever; it's just coincidental that their lives are similar compared to the Clans. They do have a set of rules, however they aren't as "paranoid" as the Clans' codes (some call them that). Trust me, I have a problem with the current warrior code, and the story is to push the boundaries to their limit; maybe even break for the good and bad of others. Plus, there're not as many, though the current ones are to create ****the most logical and reasonable**** equality in-between the cats and the barns themselves.**

**If anyone has an objection towards the rules, the barn cats (the whole shebang), inform me and I'll determine whether or not it's an acceptable idea or not. Things may change, simple as that, but only if it's absolutely reasonable. If there are some hiccups in either the barn rules or in the story that derive back to the rules, please inform me! Even the most thorough author can have some screw ups XD***

**Rules of the Barns-**

1.) Cats of the outside world—rogues—must be taken by caution; however if in danger, pregnant, young, old, weak, hungry, lost, disabled, or hurt of any cat—assistance on them is required, regardless of anything. Cats that choose no offering to them, punishments for breaking rule are varied.

2.) Boundaries of barn groups go to the fence-lines of the barn acres. If a cat steps over boundaries lines—and a scout group is around—they will be escorted to barn leader, or escorted back to their barn. If a loner, seek Rule 1 for further reasoning.

3.) Scout groups should be around in order to sight out cats crossing the borderlines. Marking is **not required**, though should be done if feeling uncertain of a cat wandering about.

4.) The barns are homes to any and all, not to just one cat. This is the most important rule of all. "Collared cats", whom which live in nestholds, are no different and are allowed into all barns. Cats chased out for that worthless reasoning shall be allowed back in; the persecutor will be heavily punished. If a cat is causing unreasonable trouble, it is the barn leader's choice to exile them from the barn.

5.) A cat from the barn can freely choose whether to leave and be on their own, live a Collared cat life, or be an in-between (being both a Collared cat and a barn cat).

6.) When a cat dies, a burial session is to be made, with given offerings as a choice. They are to be honored—for all the good they do rather than the bad.

7.) No cat is to be killed on purpose **unless** in pure self-defense; especially queens, kits, or elders. Cats who murder another cat will be exiled or even killed depending on barn leader's choice. If accidental kill, barn leader is required to confront the murderer and—if possible—witnesses to get further details to determine final decision.

8.) Cats that mate/become mates with another cat of another barn will not be rejected by others. Barn leaders will seek an answer from cats of Rainbow Meadow. Answers can be;

**-The male and female may stay as mates and stay in separate barns (if female isn't with kits)**

**-The male and female may stay as mates, however must choose to be in one barn or another; or reside as loners.**

**-The male and female may stay as mates, but males must stay in the barn that his mate lives in if she is with kits.**

**-The male and female may stay as mates, but their kits—once old enough—must choose between the barns.**

9.) **Kits are to be started off in teaching around 3 moons, in hunting, scouting, tracking, and messaging. They will be taught by mainly by the barn leaders and elders, but all cats of barn may teach the kits. Once deemed ready to embrace adulthood, the kits will be taken out into the forests or barren lands by the barn leaders of all barns at a certain date and be left to a task that must be completed in order to come back as an adult cat. If the task isn't completed, the kits will come back to train in order to accomplish the next task.

10.) Elders are mainly responsible with herbs and medicine teachings, even if they are born more like fighters. The barn leader must also be taught. It is not necessary, but it is highly recommended; for if the leader is endangered, or other cats are, more than one cat that is wise upon herbs may be needed during times of peril. Cats who want to be taught more in herbs may seek out elders for lessons.

**Starpoint Barnyard- ****(Known for excellent trackers and herding of animals. Consist of chickens, geese, goats, and alpacas)**

**Barn leader:** Katie—beautiful yet slowly aging she-cat; black pelt with white underbelly, checkered muzzle, and paws, with amber eyes. (Collared)

**Elders:(aged cats that hold the next highest social rank because of their wisdom)**

Pastel—short furred lilac smoke she-cat with mysterious hazel eyes and a slender build. (Barn)

Casey—a once handsome short furred brown tabby tom with large, innocent-looking blue eyes. (Collared)

Dusty—a long furred red tabby she-cat with slanted, blind copper eyes and a long, graceful tail. (Barn)

**Barn cats: (From oldest to youngest adult cats)**

Rover—A raggedy, aging gray tom with long claws, heavily scarred face and yellow eyes. (Barn)

Hansel—A huge scarred, handsome, ragged tortoiseshell tom with piercing amber eyes. (Barn)

Vixie—A short, lean, chocolate she-cat with leaf-green eyes and long, abundant white whiskers. (Barn)

Zeus— a large tom with thick, dark brown, tabby fur and teal eyes. (Barn)

Melissa—a lean, beautiful white and russet she-cat with bright yellow eyes (fix later!)

Eclipse— a long furred and ragged blue tom with deep sapphire blue eyes and a long tail. (Barn)

Rafael—A handsome black tom with amber eyes. (Barn)

Van Gogh— a sneaking and athletic tom with short gray fur and bright hazel eyes. (Collared)

Rain—a sturdy built black tom with one amber eye and one blue eye. (Barn)

Autumn—a sleek, short-furred russet and white she-cat with yellow eyes. (Barn/Collared)

Maple—a large Savannah she-cat; her pelt a beautiful light russet-tan with black spots scattered on her fur, with beautiful marble green eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Smooth Jazz (SJ)—a beautiful Oriental/Savannah mix, her pelt a sleek and glossy silver tabby with warm lime green eyes.

**Queens: (She-cats that are with kits)**

Viola—A beautiful pure white she-cat with glistering blue eyes. (Barn)

China- a pale tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. (Collared) (Mother to Apollo and Evan)

Grace—a russet ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes. (Barn) (Mother to Tippy, Raindrop, Snow, and Fawn)

**Kits: (under three moons old/cats not considered full fledge adult cats yet) ****

Apollo—A gray tabby with rich yellow eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Evan—A tortoiseshell and white she-cat with deep blue eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Tippy—A shy, white tom with blue eyes and deaf ears (Collared/Barn)

Raindrop—a muscular gray tom with orange eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Snow—A black tom with freckled white spots on his body and amber eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Winter—a white she-cat with one amber eye and one green eye. Orphan (Collared/Barn)

Fawn—a light brown she-cat with a cream belly, darker flecks, and green eyes. (Collared/Barn)

**Stronghold Ranch- ****(Though considered a livestock ranch to No-Collars, it's home. Consists of Angus cows and horses)**

**Barn Leader: **Scar—a scarred ginger and white tabby tom with hazel eyes. (Barn)

**Elders: **Lake— a Red tabby tom with innocent-looking yellow eyes and forward-folded ears. (Collared/Barn)

Philip—a golden tabby tom with folded ears and ice blue eyes. (Barn)

Forest— a Dark brown tabby she-cat with battle-scarred short furred pelt and green eyes and a sturdy, muscular build. (Barn)

**Barn cats: **

Raimund—a short white furred tom and bright hazel eyes (Collared)

Ansel—a long silver fur tom with a stub nose and dark blue eyes (Barn/Collared)

Justine— a smoky blue she-cat with bright green eyes and a long tail (Barn/Collared)

Megan— a red golden tabby she-cat with lime green eyes and long brown whiskers (Barn)

Vishuke— a short-haired silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Barn)

Charlie—a long furred cream tabby she-cat with pale grey-blue eyes that are slightly crossed. (Collared/Barn)

Yvette— a fluffy creamy brown furred she-cat with dark yellow eyes. (Barn/Collared)

Jamie— a long furred chocolate smoke she-cat with vivid blue eyes (Barn)

Ciar— a ragged black smoke tom with hard grey blind eyes (Barn)

Fawn— fluffy ginger fur tom with scarred ears and yellow eyes (Collared)

Travis—A big brown tom with amber eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Maggie—a short furred fawn-silver tabby she-cat with rich chestnut-colored eyes and a large build. (Barn)

**Queens:**

Captain—a blue-gray she-cat with a busy tail and blue eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Duckie— a glossy brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Mother of Cody and Robin) (Collared)

Ginger—A beautiful, long-legged, blue-gray she-cat with elusive blue eyes and a stumpy tail.

**Kits:** **Cody—A black and white tom with blue eyes. (Collared/Barn)

Robin—A russet tabby she-cat with amber eyes. (Collared/Barn)

**Woolstock Byre-** **(Once a cowshed, rejuvenated into a home for cats and wool livestock; consists of sheep, alpaca and donkeys)**

**Barn Leader: **Razor—a small but leanly built gray tom with deep forest green eyes (Barn)

**Elders:** Letitia—a beautiful blue-gray tabby she-cat with hardened blue eyes and a scar over her left eye (Barn)

Ernest—a small but serious, light brown she-cat with a darker stripe running down her backside, a tabby tail and blind, amber eyes (Collared)

Haldor—a dark ginger tom with a white underbelly and aqua blue eyes and a scarred body (Barn/Collared)

**Barn Cats: **Wisemora—a gray and white patched she-cat with cold hazel eyes (Barn)

Ana—a blind brown and gray she-cat with a bent left paw and cloudy green eyes (Collared)

Virgil—a dark gray tom with white whiskers and gold-amber eyes (Barn)

Krysta—a quiet, ginger red and white she-cat with blue eyes and folded ears (Barn/Collared)

Iraki—a once elegant and beautiful fluffy silver tabby she-cat with rich amber eyes a stumpy tail (Barn)

Shania—a dusty black she-cat with no tail and hazel-green mischievous eyes (Barn/Collared)

Blue—a cheery, smokey blue-gray and white tom with one yellow eye and one blue eye (Barn/Collared)

Lynx—a gray and white dappled tom with strong shoulders, a stumpy tail, and hazel blue eyes (Barn)

Jackson—a beautiful pale tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and violet-blue eyes (Barn/Collared)

Sleet—a pure white tom with hard amber—almost red—eyes (Barn)

Buck—a heavily built black and white tom with amber eyes (Barn/Collared)

**Queens:** Ilta—a dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat with hazel green eyes (Barn/Collared)

Cecilia—a shy, white she-cat with brown legs and blind, blue eyes (Barn)

Dominique—a beautiful black she-cat with a white tail and amber eyes (Barn/Collared) (Mother of Grace, Shiloh, and Freckles)

Jonna—a deaf yellow tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Collared) (Mother of Lucy, Hansel, and Gretel)

**Kits:** **Grace—a pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes (Barn/Collared)

Shiloh—a large, fluffy brown tabby tom with deep blue eyes (Barn/Collared)

Freckles—a dark ginger tom with white spotting on his muzzle and paws and water blue eyes (Barn/Collared)

Lucy—a white she-cat with a long tail and green eyes (Barn/Collared)

Hansel—a lean gray tabby tom with white striping and orange eyes (Barn/Collared)

Gretel—a lithe gray and black she-cat with amber eyes (Barn/Collared)


	15. Chapter 13

**I sincerely apologize for my absence! I have to study up for a test that's tomorrow and I had some horrible hiccups on the Barn Cats reference sheet. Ugh! But I managed to get the ones that I saw. But anyways, this chapter jumps back to Briarlight's POV after seeing Jayfeather's. I love that cranky tom XD**

**I highly advise everyone to at least read the Barn Rules! It explains further how all three barns work in an equal, mostly calm manner with problems. It's up to you all whether or not you want to see the cats that each barn has; though I at least ask kindly that you do. I don't want to have to explain over and over who are the cats that pop up when they are already enlisted! XC**

**I hope you guys like this chapter! :) Review please!**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 13**

Something was nudging her side. She dipped her head further into the covers, grumbling indistinctively. The warmth around her was enough to pull her back into the foggy dreamless state. But the nudging was persistent, pushing harder against her. Her eye twitched in annoyance, rolling to her other side, hopeful that that would stop it.

A sharp slap to the face woke her up completely. She yelped, pulling away to rub a paw over her nose where the impact had landed. Briarlight poked her head out from the covers to see Maple frowning. "What is with you, Maple? I was having a wonderful—"

"No time to explain. Come on! You need to get up. We're going to the farm today!" She said in haste.

Now Briarlight remembered. The previous night, Maple and SJ had advised her to go to bed early so that she would wake up in time to leave the nesthold early. But she hadn't slept well during the night so she obtained little rest. Yawning, she stretched, dragging herself out from underneath the barely warm sheets.

Clearly, Maple was in a far quicker hurry than she was, for the warrior was nearly tossed right over the Savannah she-cat's back. Clutching on, she signaled Maple that she was ready.

Jumping off the bed, Maple scurried out of the bedroom and practically jumped down the entire staircase. "S-S-Slow d-down, Maple!" Briarlight stuttered from bouncing so much. The larger she-cat obeyed, mumbling an apology. "Why are you in such a hurry? I understand we're going to the farm, but I think you're overreacting a little too much."

Maple giggled shyly. "Sorry, Briar. I'm just so excited that's all. It's not everyday that SJ and I go to the farm. We could walk, but Mama's been so busy with her other work that she hasn't had the time to take us. I know for certain that the dogs are ready to herd the goats and alpacas today!"

"Goats? Alpacas?"

"You'll see when we get there." Maple glanced over her shoulder and winked at her confused friend. They strolled outside from the dog flap installed in the entrance door. Maple yowled loudly, causing the white canine face of Lucinda to pop from around the corner. Her usual happy grin was wider now, her tail wagging vigorously as she paced.

"About time you woke, Briar," SJ smirked in amusement. Briarlight ducked her head to avoid the Oriental she-cat to see her flushed face. "Looks like everyone is here." Riley stood above them all, wearing her long white coat, accustomed with blue jeans and a black shirt. Her fur was pulled back into a hightop, showing her baggy-tired but lively eyes. She smiled down at them, saying something and opened the back end of the monster. King and Lucinda jumped in, followed by SJ and Maple after she had Riley take Briarlight from her back. Riley placed Briarlight in the same basket as when she had first arrived at their nesthold and shut the monster's end close.

"How far is the farm from here?" Briarlight asked, watching Riley get in the front and make the monster come alive. She guided the monster backwards, out of the driveway and then directed it away from the nesthold.

"It's actually a good running distance, but Mama likes to drive the beast and us to it. Mama goes every day, usually during the night or around dusk before she comes to the nesthold. But since you'd arrived here, Briar, she's been holding off a visit to take care of you," Maple smiled. "We could've gone there ourselves, but it would've been hard on you."

"True," Briarlight said. "What goes on there?"

"So much," SJ sighed happily. "Mama is the Herbal Shaman there too, and helps take care of the animals' health every time we visit. She also farms with one other man, who she's known for a very long time. The animals that are there—like we explained before—are goats, ducks, a few wild geese, and two alpacas to guard the herd when King and Lucinda aren't around. We cats hang out with the other cats there. I would say there's about twenty or so cats that live there. They're almost like the wild cats you live with, Briar, but ours live in a barn, that's all."

"Do you think Katie will be there?" Briarlight inquired.

Both she-cats shrugged this time. "Who knows. For some odd reason, Katie's been…more absent than usual. We used to be able to time whenever she would come home or arrive at the farm. In fact, she was almost never at the farm, concerning us all. We could never figure out why she was gone so much."

"Is Riley concerned too?"

"No, not really. She believes Katie's simply off hunting or maintaining another group of cats. She's seen how Katie takes care of others, so that's what she thinks." Maple mumbled.

The monster suddenly grew bumpier, making Briarlight jiggle in her basket. "W-Where are we g-going?" She stuttered over the bumps.

SJ laughed. "H-Have no worries, Briarlight. W-w-we're on the r-r-right path."

Soon the road got less bumpy, and outside of the monster a few treelengths was the sight of another building, growing closer with every heartbeat.

As the days went by, Briarlight had grown a fondness for the whole group of nesthold animals, feeling like this was where she needed to be for the time being. She never felt hostile towards them, and they were never harsh or cold to her if she did something out of place, like scratching the sofa when that was a big "no-no" to Riley. But the No-Collar simply flicked her once in the ear and Briarlight got the hint.

With the help of Maple and SJ, Briarlight began training herself again, countlessly climbing up and down the stairs, agreeing to the advice of how her back muscles needed the most exercise on. And once the session was over, they would go out to the woods and hunt, only it was Briarlight giving them "wild cat" tips on the best ways to find prey. While the younger she-cats would hunt mice and voles, Briarlight practiced snatching minnows out of boredom.

And not one second passed that Briarlight felt like she was being forced upon anything. Every moment she breathed, she had grown to thinking Maple and SJ were almost her sisters.

And yet, with everything she had accepted in Riley's nesthold, she still missed her real home. _'But I know what I'm doing here will later come to benifet the Clan when I get back. I'll make them proud.' _She would always tell herself when she became down.

"Look, Briar! Here's the barn!" Maple's excited chirping returned Briarlight to the present. Scooting to the edge of her basket, Briarlight gasped at the sight of the large barn. The mahogany reddish hue painted on it glowed ominously in the ascending sunrise. The dogs started whimpering, pacing around her in anticipation. Even though this would be her first time at the barn, Briarlight actually was looking forward to getting out of the monster and into the big nesthold.

When the world stopped moving and the monster was ordered to a halt, Briarlight had to crane her head upwards to see the top of the barn. Through the muffled inside of the monster, outside Briarlight could hear odd sounds beyond the wooden doors.

**"You ready to herd some goats and ducks today, King?"** Maple purred excitedly to the white German Shepherd. He must've gotten through to the message, for his tail started wagging harder. Lucinda paced more impatiently, whining at the fact she wasn't outside yet.

"Is that what I hear outside?" Briarlight asked, maintaining a calm tone.

Maple nodded vigorously. "Sure is! The alpacas don't really make noises, but the goats, ducks, geese, and chickens make up for it." She explained hastily.

Riley walked around the monster and opened the back end, resulting in King and Lucinda nearly trampling over Briarlight in her basket accidently. However, with one harsh command, both dogs slowed down and sat beside her, waiting for them to come out. With Maple and SJ hopped out, and Briarlight hanging in her basket, Riley slammed the monster's end down and started towards the closed barn doors.

Briarlight suddenly felt nervous about the whole new territory, but excitement was starting to get the better of her. Riley chuckled at her, clearly amused at her fidgetiness. She opened the doors of the barn, causing a wave of different scents to overpower Briarlight's nose.

It took her a moment to compose herself. The smells were so strong and different than the lake territories or the nesthold. Shaking her head, Briarlight took in her surroundings.

The barn was very big, definitely bigger than the nesthold. It was very spacious, though she did see monsters sleeping far off in specific corners. Hay was stacked high, though no higher than Riley herself. Up above, Briarlight could hear sparrows and finches chirping joyfully, some even coming down to eat the excess grains on the ground.

A high pitch noise came from around the corner. Sure enough, it was an odd creature with horns on the top of its head, a bulging belly and an utter below itself.

_'That must be a goat like Maple and SJ were mentioning.'_ Briarlight thought. A gruff voice drew her attention away from the livestock. A cold lump began to form in her belly again.

Another No-Collar, clearly older than Riley, stepped forward. His face, unlike Riley's, was coated with prickly fur around his lips and chin. He had a twig end sticking out from his mouth, chewing on it as a nervous habit. His eyes were dark grey, almost lifeless compared to Riley's fiery brown ones. The male No-Collar wore odd jeans that had straps trailing over his shoulders, over a once white t-shirt. Briarlight buried herself deeper into the basket in shyness.

However, Riley seemed to think otherwise. Briarlight felt joy flow off of the female, making her think twice about the relationship with the male No-Collar. Briarlight's basket was set down onto the ground, while Riley took two big strides into open forelegs of the male. She hugged him back, whispering something to him alien to Briarlight's ears. But she didn't mind, for the smile that encased itself on Riley made her happy as well.

"That's Stein, in case ya're wonderin'," A voice broke the warrior's train of thought. Turning, Briarlight saw a ragged, tortoiseshell tom, his amber eyes glistering in the faintly growing light. He was massive in muscle, yet there was something older, wiser about him. He grinned at her, revealing a few missed fangs. At Briarlight's confused gaze, he shrugged lazily. "Don' worry too much 'bout it, kit. Stein takes care of us cats, as does there Riley. They good No-Collars I say," He gave another pause. "Name's Hansel. What's yours?"

"Briarlight. I'm not from around here, Hansel. I'm from the—"

"—the wild, I smell. You a full blood cat of wildness, huh?" He laughed heartily. It cackled but didn't hide any of his unusual amusement. "Haven' seen them ya'll wild cats since I's a boy kit! Them were good days. Good days I's tell ya."

Briarlight smiled at his odd speaking. Despite that, he was the first stranger of the barn to greet her so openly. Then she noticed him staring curiously at her back end. Sharp for his age, he recoiled and apologized. "Much sorry, lil' lady! Didn' mean to stare. I's raised better than that. I's wonderin' how…that there happen'."

"It's okay, Hansel, I get that a lot." Briarlight chuckled. "In fact I don't—"

"Hansel! Hansel, dear, where are you?"

A beautiful white she-cat trotted slowly towards the raggedy tom, panting when she came to a stop. Her stomach swung to her sides, though one particular part lurched outwards. _'She's very full with kits.'_ Briarlight thought in awe as the she-cat rubbed under Hansel's chin lovingly.

"Slow down, luv. I just came along to see here this lil' lady be greeted kindly." Hansel explained slowly.

"But it seem as if you were gone for so long," The white she-cat sighed. "You left so abruptly, I thought—"

"Have no worries, my beauty Viola," Hansel intervened softly. He looked at Briarlight and smiled. "Miss Briar, allow this here ol' tom an intro to ma mate, Viola. Viola, luv, this here is Briarlight of the wild."

"A wild cat, you say?" Viola gasped, her eyes lighting up. She slowly walked over to Briarlight, bowing politely. "An honor to meet you, Briarlight. I'm sure you'll fit in great here." She said kindly.

Briarlight noticed that Viola also appeared much older, around Sandstorm's age, and yet she was plump with kits. Her and Hansel obviously loved each other very much, despite their differences in appearance and language.

Riley had finished up her speaking with Stein and gave a sharp whistle, causing an echo in the large barn. Within seconds, King and Lucinda barreled around the corner, jumping clean over the three cats and landed in front of Riley, both panting lightly. Briarlight couldn't help but laugh at their excitement. Riley spoke to them as Stein opened another door leading out to the landscape behind the barn. He shepherd off the large quantity of goats outside.

King and Lucinda didn't move until the goats were far out into the acreage, grouping up with another herd of goats. Riley barked short commands to them both and Briarlight watched as the two large dogs bolted out from the barn, faster than Briarlight had seen them go before. Riley and Stein simply walked after them. "Wow." She breathed quietly.

"There you are, Briar!" Maple came up behind her, nudging her playfully in the shoulder. "Guess you've already met Hansel and Viola. You still need to see the others." She helped Briarlight onto her back and walked back towards the center of the barn, where SJ waited with a growing group of cats.

Four kits came running up beside Maple, showering her and Briarlight with various questions, most where directed towards Briarlight and her new arrival.

_ 'They remind me of Cherrykit and Molekit.' _She thought with a smirk.

"Everyone!" SJ spoke up loudly, "I'd like to present to you Maple's and I's new friend, Briarlight. She is a wild cat that is here for a visit."

Many greeted politely, however there were some—mostly the older cats—that just nodded to her, showing an uncertain distrust towards her. The kits laughed and tried to jump onto Maple's shoulders to play with Briarlight, though were scolded off by their parents.

Briarlight finally got down when she had space, enjoying the slow warming of her arrival by the others. Viola and Hansel walked next to her, introducing the other cats to her.

Hansel dipped his head back to sniff the air, more than likely for food, but Briarlight thought twice when his shoulders when rigged and firm. His eyes snapped opened, shock filtering through them. Viola looked up at her mate, tilting her head in confusion. "Hansel, love, what's wrong?"

The large tortoiseshell tom didn't respond, but got up and trotted briskly away from the group. All the cats' gazes followed his posture, though it was Briarlight that decided to actually follow him. He was quick for his age, and Briarlight struggled a little on the uneven terrain to reach him.

Finally, Hansel stopped abruptly, allowing the warrior she-cat to slide up next to him. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but the words became lodged in her throat as an overwhelming stench of death washed over her. She gagged at the sight behold her.

A tom—probably a season or two older than she—laid in a heap of torn, dead limbs. His head was nearly ripped off his own neck, lolled off impossibly to the right, his jaws wide open with terror filtered in his eyes. All of his limbs were horribly ripped and shredded, as if a dog had massacred him before he finally died. It was hard to see his gore-filled and bloody wounds with his black pelt hiding it from view.

But the stench was there to remind them, as was the pool growing underneath his form.

"Dear StarClan…" She muttered, unable to take her eyes from the body. Even when she heard other cats starting towards Hansel and her, she didn't move. However, the ragged tom broke contact of the body swarmed with flies and quickly went to block off the sight from the others.

Too bad one of the she-cats saw it before he could reach her. Her scream resonated through the barn, making Briarlight flinch. It took her a moment to realize that it was Viola yowling.

"Oh my goodness! Wha…What's THAT doing here?!" She continued to scream, causing the others to grow agitated and scared.

"My luv, you's must calm down! Think of them kits of ours." Hansel tried to comfort his white she-cat. But she continued to shudder violently, shaking her head.

"This isn't right! Why us! It's murder again! Who would kill—"

_"Enough!"_

Viola, as well as the others, silenced at the loud snarl, which echoed the barn. Briarlight felt cold claws run up her upper back, making her, too, shudder in shock. She turned in time to see a gruff tom, probably as old—or even older—as Hansel. His eyes were cold orange-red of fire, his stance even more threatening. Clearly, he hadn't bathed correctly in a long while, his fur sticking out in uneven, ugly patterns, even on his face. Battle scars matted under that long, gray fur of the tom, his muzzle and eyes forever battered with them too.

The other cats made a way for him to get in, though they didn't appear too happy about doing so.

"Brother! What are you doin' here? You's know that she'll—" Hansel was cut off when the tom stood up to him, his gaze never faltering in the heated hatred it gave off.

"You will stand down, Hansel, or not so doing I will make you hurt." He threatened, hissing right in the kinder tom's face.

Yet, despite his threatening tone, Hansel grew rigid again, his eyes stern and unmoving. "Rover, you's realize that this is going on too long. Another body has been discovered; right here in her barn! After all she has done for us."

"It is **MY** barn!" He growled. "She's not worth it. I'm older and know more." He glanced merely at Briarlight, then his full attention was on her. "Who is this?! No outsiders allowed here!"

"Brother, contain yourself! Briarlight won't—"

"I don't care if she's a flippin' rabbit dying on its last breath! NO OUTSIDERS!" He snarled, advancing towards Briarlight. She couldn't move if she tried. His gaze was terrifying her beyond description. When he was in front of her, she had to crane her head a little, though she intentionally didn't want to.

"What is a stupid, weakling rat like you doing here?" He spoke slower, but it didn't disguise his cold words from her ears. When she didn't answer—and with quick precision—Rover tackled her to the ground, his claws longer than any others she's seen and digging into her throat. "I'll ask again; why are you here, traitor?"

"Rover, stop!" Maple broke through the crowd and pushed him off with ease, thanks to her slight larger size. It still amazed Briarlight. "Leave Briarlight alone! She has done nothing wrong!"

"Are you so sure of yourself, Maple? Because it looks almost as if she killed our brother here!" He growled then scoffed.

"That's crazy, Rover!" SJ stepped up. "You know as well as any other cat we shouldn't assume any cat killed him until we have proof."

"That was then, Smooth Jazz, and this is now. Too many cats are dying in the name of nothing. We can no longer trust outsiders."

"Are you actually saying that Briarlight, a crippled wild cat, killed Rafael?!" She gasped, furrowing her brows. "That's preposterous."

"I've seen a blind cat kill his own kind before, or a deaf cat killing a tom in self-defense. It doesn't surprise me at all that a wild cat, though cripple like a puppy, can kill."

_"And I'm surprise you've let your tongue lash out this long without authority, Rover." _A chuckle cut in.

Briarlight looked up above them to see another cat—a she-cat beautiful beyond description with her glossy black fur, along with her white underbelly, chest, and muzzle—sauntering to and fro on her toes. She seemed highly amused by Rover's gripping, but didn't hide the look of disappointment as she glanced over at the fallen Rafael tom. Those blazing golden eyes danced back over towards Rover's stiff body. "If I were you, tom, I would stand down and walk away before—as my No-Collars say—biting off more than you can chew." She purred.

"Why don't you come down here and say that to my face, she-cat?!" Rover countered coldly. "I'm the best here and you give me—"

A hint of annoyance fell on the black and white she-cat, and she actually jumped down from the attic level. She landed silently, not even grunting in effort. She didn't hesitate in getting right into Rover's line of fire. She glared at him as he bantered on.

_'What's she doing?!' _Briarlight thought frantically, _'She'll be killed by this mad tom.' _

"You're too weak to lead us, she-cat and I'm far more experienced that you!" Rover finished, spitting at the she-cat's face.

But she ducked away and brought her paw up, claws unsheathed, to deliver a blow so unexpectedly strong, Rover was lifted off his feet and fell down in a heap of fur. Briarlight expected many of the other cats to gasp and run off; but they didn't. Every cat grouped around them stayed firmly in place, as if they had anticipated the action.

As Rover struggled to get up, two other toms finally broke away and helped him up. They shot the she-cat glares of coldness like Rover's own. But she didn't flinch back, only sighed in shame.

"You lie, Rover, to me, yourself, and the others. If you so insult my position as leader once more and I hear about it, you'll be sorry that I ever saved your worthless life after our prior leader passed," She threatened calmly, though Briarlight knew the message shook through the three toms, for they were the ones that backed up a step. "You three leave and make sure you stay that way until I deem otherwise."

They bowed their heads and walked off, but not before sending one last glare towards Briarlight and her friends. Once they were out of sight, the she-cat sagged her shoulders. "You three are alright, no?" She inquired.

"Thanks a ton! If you hadn't arrived, I'd be fighting him. Not that I would mind. He deserved that blow by the way." Maple chuckled nervously.

"Indeed he did. So," she looked at Briarlight with those curious eyes of gold, "you're the new cat on the block, huh?"

"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am." Briarlight said softly. "I'm Briarlight."

"A pleasure in meeting you. My name is Katie." She said.

For a heartbeat, Briarlight was speechless. "You're…you're Katie? The one that Maple and SJ have been talking about? The one who inspired them to do all of their amazing things?"

Katie ducked her head slightly. "Aw, now you're just embarrassing me, little kit. Never knew that they adored me so much," She chuckled shyly, "But I do appreciate it."

"Sorry to intrude in this here greetin', ladies," Hansel stepped up, "but we's got a body an' I believe Rafael here deserves some proper burial vows."

The black and white she-cat's face went stiff with sorrow. "Yes, indeed, my brother Hansel. Let us go," She gave a pause, "It was nice meeting you, Briarlight. I'll see you again soon." Katie walked away with Hansel and two other toms, each one finding support in lifting Rafael's form off the ground.

Briarlight was in awe at the teamwork each cat did. They never gripped, never scowled at a mistake, but commented on where to go in order to get outside. _'No Clan cat does that anymore,' _She thought sadly, _'It's always something wrong that we focus on. I wonder what's going on now at my home…' _

"Come, Briarlight," Viola nudged her on the shoulder, "It is wise for _all_ cats to give tribute to lost brethren. Even a wild cat."

Obediently, they and all the other cats followed Katie and the toms out to the backside of the barn. There, they dug a hole deep enough so that crows and other carcass eating animals wouldn't bother his corpse. With unexpected carefulness, Katie pushed him in, making sure he didn't bash against anything. She backed away and nodded to Hansel.

On silent command, all around Briarlight, the barn cats—as well as Maple and SJ—bowed their heads.

"Great Spirit Cats! Heed our vows and thus fulfill our wishes!" Hansel yowled loudly. "We come forth to give our thanks and blesses upon our brother. Rafael was, and always will be, remembered by us for his invaluable courage, his cunning hunting abilities, and his love for this family. His legacy will walk among us, both of good and bad times, in the paws of our newborns, for generations to come."

Hansel gave pause for many heartbeats, allowing Briarlight to hear the murmuring of the other barn cats. His booming words had sunk deep into her heart. The raggedy tom then began again, "In the doing of his remembering by us, Great Cats of Meadow, bless his path in finding you. Help him understand our grief, so that he, too, can walk with you in the pawsteps of wisdom and love. Heed our words, our vows, our pleads, in memory of Rafael."

Cats nodded in agreement, some even yowling out loud the request. Briarlight knew it should feel wrong, but she got the expression that she had already known Rafael for a long time, despite just arriving with Maple and SJ. The warrior looked to see Maple and SJ standing a ways from her, both heads tilted upwards, rather than being downwards. Briarlight thought it was they weren't given their vows to Rafael, but she took that thought back when she noticed the pained expressions they had. _'They must be praying really hard then. Everyone here seemed to think of this tom as a wondrous cat…' _

Katie stepped up beside Hansel, nodding in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Hansel. Our prayers will certainly be heard by our ancestors," She said softly. The brown elder tom bowed his head respectfully, moving backwards so she could speak. "My brothers, my sisters, Rafael was…a well-worthy cat in saving. I cannot and never will forget how this tom, nearly dead with severe starvation, came to me all those seasons ago. Requesting simple shelter and food for the day. He never forced it out on me; always the gentletom he was. I took his request fully and gave him what he desperately needed with my No-Collar; flu shots, food till we could no longer see his ribs sticking out sickly, and assisting him in becoming stronger. He was one of the few cats that I grew very close to in his short life.

"He never showed such compassion to anything else than the barn itself. And every day that Rafael breathed in this barn, the tom never once failed to prove himself to everyone. Even after his mate—our loving, young sister—Sophia, passed into the paws of our Great Spirits, Rafael stayed strong. And on his own, he nurtured his kits, watched them grow into strong, fine and proud barn cats, mourned when his oldest, Sharp, was killed unknowingly. Now," She paused, indicating her head over to two cats—a she-cat with russet fur and a white stomach, and a tom that looked just like his father—that both stood straighter at her mentioning, "his kits, Rain and Autumn, carry their family's legacy and love. I know you two will prove yourselves just like your father did. As will we all! Come forth now and give your thanks, your anger, your love, and your shame, to our brother!"

Almost instantly, the cats began lining up behind Rain and Autumn as they walked forth. Katie walked over to Briarlight, who had sat back to watch it and bow her head in respect too.

"That was beautiful, Katie," She whispered. "Us Clan cats do the same, but you guys…you cats place more love into yours. Honor as well."

Katie sighed, suddenly appearing older than before. "This barn is their home, Briarlight. _Our_ home. It's the closest thing we have to stepping into our wild ancestors' paws without leaving our No-Collars in shame and sorrow. Some cats here, other than Maple, SJ, or me, have a second life in their nestholds. Here, they know their way back and forth from them, no matter the distance."

"How did you build up this barn anyways, Katie? It surely took a while."

"It did, in some ways. And it wasn't me who truly brought this barn up," She smiled sadly at Briarlight's confused look. She took a slow breath.

"My sister, Amy, was the one who brought up the barn. And I helped her."

_'She knew Amy?!'_

"Before Rafael arrived here, Amy had…issues coming onto her as she grew older. But, and this is odd, she was younger than I today when she passed on. So she decided to do something away from the confinements of our nesthold with Riley and her mother No-Collar. Not even her mate at the time knew. Only I knew of her actions.

"It was around the second or third week that I finally decided to confront her. It'd ended up with us two breaking into a fight. But I finally managed to persuade her to let me in, for I, too, knew that her life was ending faster than our No-Collars knew. The first cats we took in were Rover and Hansel. By then, they were around Amy's age, whereas I was only a couple seasons old. Rover was the brute strength of the two; brash, hard-headed, and oddly tried to make Amy his mate. Hansel was kinder, though had the same strength as his brother too. Slowly but surely, we agreed to make a society in our barn that would surely forge a balance with one another. With the exception of a leader to maintain the bigger orders for the barn life."

"Wow…" Briarlight breathed in awe. _'I never knew Amy, a cold-hearted cat with some retaliating goodness did something so large on the scales.' _"But how did you become leader? Did Amy pass it down before she…died?"

"Forgive this aging she-cat's abrupt change of subject, but that talk is for another day, Briar. Right now, I must speak with Rain, Autumn, and Hansel for our brethren's burial. More than likely, it will be by sunhigh today. Excuse me." Katie cleared her throat and got up.

It upset Briarlight to have another cat avoid a conversation of the past; of Amy herself. It was as if the she-cat had some kind of permanent plague on everyone even after she died.

Someone was watching her, causing the fur on her neck to rise up stiffly. A cold wind rushed over her, making her shiver involuntarily. She took the chance and turned away from the cats, facing the forest. The warrior gasped in shock.

"Ra…Rafael?" She choked.

Sure enough, the same tom—with the same jet black pelt with a white speck over his nose—stood transparent in front of her. But to the others, as suspected, he wasn't there at all in their eyes.

"Rafael," Briarlight forced her voice down as she moved away from the cats, "I…I thought you would be gone to your ancestors by now; to the Meadow?" She inquired politely.

But the tom shook his head gravely. "I'm trapped, ma'am, as are several other cats. T…They did this to us…" His form began to fade from his shuddering.

"Wait! _'They'_? _'They'_ who, Rafael?" Briarlight urged, a lump forming in her throat with dread. Sadly, his form was receding faster.

_"We were murder, ma'am. Slaughtered by our own kind. A homicide…you must help us…please…" _

With that, Rafael's being disappeared into nothing.

Briarlight felt it was suddenly hard to breathe. She gasped in a lungful of air, like she had been strangled. _'Murder? But…but who would murder Rafael in cold blood?' _She thought.

"Briarlight?" Maple chirped, walking up next to the crippled warrior. Then she saw the scared look on Briarlight's face. "What's wrong? Is there something the matter?"

Briarlight breathed deeply again. "Y-Yes…there is something terribly wrong. But we'll talk about later. No one needs to know right now…" She forced out, giving a nervous laugh. Maple, clearly confused and worried, simply nodded.

* * *

**Oh boy…Now we are REALLY getting serious here. I don't know if I need to change the rating because of the blood and violence that will lay ahead –shrugs- if you guys can tell me, that'll help. **

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**The average cat is actually proven to have better senses than a dog! Dog lovers, you might want to leave now, because a cat can hear octaves higher and better than a dog. High-frequency noises up to two octaves higher than what a human can hear can be detected by cats' sensitive ears. Between a cat and a dog, it's 1 octave higher, but that is still considerably high; which means a cat can hear those pesky dog whistles much clearer than a dog can. Talk about an induced headache… They can also turn their ears almost 360 degrees, where as a dog can barely do that, especially if they have naturally floppy ears. This is the reason why cats (or any animal that you may own) hear an oncoming car or person from quite a ways from the house when you, in turn, can't. Dogs, to bring up their moods, have more of a pitch range than cats, hearing lower rather than higher. Much like an elephant XD**

**Wrapping it up, cats have sensitive ears and can hear higher and farther than dogs and humans. With the case of Maple, however, I think it would be a special gift to 'sense' the presence of others over great distances through the air. Dovewing has the power of hearing great lengths as pleased. However, with Maple, it's a little different. She can sense cats, their size, shape, etc. through the wind, especially through strong breezes. Case in point: her gift IS NOT Dovewing's. May seem that way, but it isn't**

**Review please if you have questions or some other things to say! :D **

**Until next time~**


	16. Chapter 14

**So the last chapter we got to see what happened to poor Rafael, as well as him telling Briarlight that he was killed as part of a homicide…Can YOU GUYS figure who the murderer is? ?**

**Check through the Barn Cats ref if you want to throw off names (maybe give a reason if you want to) Review if you have any questions please or comment on how the story is so far :)**

**Hope you enjoy~!**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_"Homicide?!"_

"How can that be?"

"You can't be serious, Briarlight! Rafael? Killed in cold-blood rather than self-defense? That's insane!"

"Guys, please!" Briarlight hissed, trying to hold down her frustration as Maple and SJ showered her angrily with their disbelief. And it was hard for them as well; considering Katie had just finished with the burial of Rafael hours ago, and almost all the cats were starting to question whether or not they were safe from harm.

According to the gossip spreading around, Briarlight heard that Rafael wasn't the only body that had shown up on their barn-grounds.

Katie shook her head in shame. "I know you just got here and all, love, but that doesn't give you the right to think of Rafael being killed with cold paws! What will this do for the others if it gets out of our reaches?" She shuddered. "The last thing we need now is to assume—"

"Katie if you actually think straight," Briarlight snarled back, "Rafael didn't kill himself! Someone else did. He told me!"

"He told you? Rafael is dead from what I last remember seeing," Katie scoffed. The field that Briarlight urged the three she-cats to follow her to didn't carry out their conversation thanks to a constant cold wind blowing over them.

"Wait a moment," SJ intervened, looking at the upset warrior. "You mentioned before that you were sent here by your choice in protecting the Clans, right? That you have a special power—or powers—that will benefit you later on, correct?"

During the past few sunrises, Briarlight had opened herself up to Maple and SJ, telling them everything (aside of talking to dead cats) that had happened up to—and even past—being rescued by SJ. They had been shocked at first, but quickly knew her hidden power—or _powers_, as SJ suspected—had been a big part of her making her choice of coming with them.

"That's right. And Rafael… isn't the first cat that I spoke to." _'Should I really tell them my conversations with the others?' _Briarlight worried as she spoke. "I…um…talked to others…"

"_'Others'_, as in whom, Briar?" Maple asked politely. "Not that I don't believe you."

Briarlight looked at the three cats. They had been willing to help her up until now. _'And now Rafael is asking me to find his—as well as many others—murderer; on top of getting my legs back, make it back to the Clans before something terrible happens that Billie and Amy keep giving clues on, along with growing strong enough to assist in a war that Nothingness is falling helplessly into. Just wonderful, I tell you!'_ She snarled to herself. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "I've spoken to Billie and Amy. The two cats that were here before SJ and you came to live with Riley."

If it was even possible, Katie's fur turned paler, her eyes widening in horror. "Y-Y-You spoke with…Amy? But…how?" Her voice shook.

Briarlight shrugged. "Don't know. The first time I ever spoke to a dead cat was in my dream. That time it was with Billie. Slowly but surely, I began getting visits from Amy in my 'dreampaws'. Then there's another cat…a tom that calls himself Soul."

Maple's ears perked up at the name. "Soul? What…what did he look like?"

Again, the warrior she-cat shrugged. "He looked literally like all the other cats in the Nothingness—that's where they lived and called it. He was white and had even whiter eyes. He gave me a prophecy that I needed to help him and the 'Lead One'." She paused, looking at Maple curiously, "Why? Do you know him?"

For a heartbeat, Maple didn't speak. Then she shook her head. "Sadly, I didn't know him, but Hansel did."

"Hansel? But how?"

"Hansel may look simply a little old and a little battle-scarred, Briar, but he's actually older than he lets on. Not that it has affected him much. He's one of the oldest—probably _the_ oldest—tom I've known so far. When we were just kits being introduced into the barn by Katie, Hansel told stories about this mysterious Soul."

"Well, what did he say?" Briarlight urged, wanting to know more about her dead friend.

Unfortunately, Maple sighed. "Sorry, Briar, but I promised him that I wouldn't tell him about it to any other cat. He seemed pretty hesitant to tell me in the first place. You would have to talk to him."

"He never told any other cat? Not Viola?" Briarlight turned. "Not even to you, Katie?"

The black and white she-cat shook her head. "That's correct, dear. Hansel and Rover grew up in a very…dark past. It was probably the only reason that Amy requested them to join her in creating a barn group. Hansel is more trustworthy of Maple because—surprisingly enough—she's spent the most time around the big tom. Can't blame him for it, though."

"Oh." Briarlight was disappointed that Maple wouldn't tell her what Hansel had told her.

_"Girls! Come on, let's go!"_ Riley's voice rang down the field, followed by a sharp whistling sound.

"We should be going, Briarlight," Katie mentioned quietly, trying to lift the disappointment from the air. She bumped the warrior by the rear, smiling enthusiastically. "We have much to do at home as well."

Nodding silently, Briarlight got up and followed the she-cats back to the barn, where Viola was surprisingly awaiting them with a comforting grin. "It's good to see you again, Briar. For a moment, I thought the barn cats had scared you off." She said with a nervous laugh.

Briarlight laughed. "No way, Viola. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Viola winced little. Then she sighed. "I just don't understand, you guys. Rafael was such a wonderful tom. What could he have done to anger a cat so much that they would…"

Katie came up next to the white she-cat and placed her tail on her shoulder. "Fear not, Viola. We mustn't think of the 'how's' now, but more of the 'he was'. He needs that appreciation in order to find his way to the Meadow."

"I know, I know. Sorry 'bout that," She sighed. "I need to go see Hansel. He's going to be worried if I'm gone for too long."

"We all would be." Maple giggled.

With a wave of her tail, the beautiful aging she-cat disappeared around the corner. Briarlight liked Viola; she reminded her of her own mother whenever she wasn't fretting over something. Smart. Kind. Beautiful. _'And strong, just like the warrior cat she is, regardless of the kittypet blood in her.'_ She thought with pride.

Riley came by, halting in her steps upon seeing the she-cats waltzing around. She placed her forepaws on her hips and held a posture that indicated that she wasn't all that happy. The female No-Collar began to say something in her mostly foreign tongue, but another, much more masculine voice, cut in. Fearful of the intruder coming closer, Briarlight scurried closer to Riley's long hindlegs, looking up at her pleadingly. Her silent message must've gotten through, for Riley bent down and picked her up in those gentle yet firm paws of hers.

The sound of barking resonated through the barn, followed by the sounds of hissing and yowling. Riley, Maple, SJ, and Katie raced towards the rucus.

Inside the barn was a young black dog, yipping happily along with an older brown dog. Their black beady eyes were eagerly gazing up at the cats in the attic level, whom were all glaring fearfully back down at them. Some cats had snuck into the large and freshly placed down hay piles unseen, assuming position to attack.

Before anything else could happen, Katie stepped forward. **"HEY! You mangy mutts!" **She snarled furiously. Even Riley had taken a step back from her own cat, shocked at the noise she made.

It grabbed the two dogs' attention though. They whipped around and began to charge at her, nearing the black and white she-cat with every long gallop of their lean legs. Briarlight knew that if it was her standing there, she would've ran already.

But Katie stood in place like a wooden statue.

Then she arched her back and gave a menacing noise that sounded cross between a snarl and a yowl.

Both dogs immediately skidded to a halt in front of the barn leader, then began to back away in complete fear, their whip-like tails held underneath their hind legs. She sidestepped them, baring her fangs, her attitude suddenly transforming into that of a badger instead of a cat.

**"You will behave in my barn! Or face my anger!" **Katie spoke in their tongue. Briarlight had heard Maple speak dog the time in the car to King and Lucinda, but that had sounded kind and eager to play. This was pure dominance gruff rumbling through Katie's throat. **"Understand?!" **

The dog's immediately nodded and whimpered in fright.

_"Evan? Bugger? There you are!" _The male No-Collar voice sounded again to Briarlight's ears. She peered over Riley's arm to see the No-Collar coming towards them, his breath coming out in slight pants. He stopped, his chest glistering with sweat, something only No-Collars so far could do in Briarlight's viewpoint. He wore a smaller form of a shirt and long pants, thought they seemed to fit his hindlegs perfectly. He had a normal hat on, compared to Riley's bandana.

A warm bubbly feeling coursed through her chest, making her gasp. _'What's going on? W-Why do I feel like this…'_ Briarlight wondered. Then it hit her. It was Riley's feeling. _'Is…is she…'_

The male No-Collar flinched away when he saw Katie still arching dangerously at the dogs. King and Lucinda walked in, luckily, and—with unfazed calmness—strolled right up to the barn leader, licking her face till she forced herself to smooth out her fur and come down from her arching. She said something to the dogs, resulting in them going over to the two other dogs. A few barks later and a playful growl, the four dogs scurried outside, back in their playful mood.

The male No-Collar owner breathed a sigh of relief, as did everyone else in the barn. He walked over to Riley and began speaking to her. She said something back, resulting the stranger to blush. Briarlight held in a snicker. _'I think Riley is teasing him!'_

Briarlight felt a paw on her head and she flinched back, but then realized that it was the male No-Collar. She folded her ears back a little, unsure as to whether let him touch her or not. But when Riley's body flowed reassurance, she gave in reluctantly.

His paw was rougher than Riley's, but nonetheless it feel good on her. She meowed softly, making him chuckle.

_"You like when Trent scratches behind your ear, huh?" _He cooed jokingly. She smiled but felt slightly disgusted when she caught a whiff of his perspiration. After a few more heartfelt rubs, she squirmed in Riley's grip, wanting to get down and away from the male for the time being. Obeying the warrior, Riley set her down, watching her as she crawled away, and chuckled when Trent stared at her with shocked eyes.

Briarlight didn't glance back as she and the cats started for the monster. Though it still terrified her to get close to the beast, Briarlight was satisfied when Maple or SJ were with her. She heard a rustle and turned to see a figure hiding in the bushes. She stopped in her steps and focused completely on the figure. Sadly, that seemed to scare it off, as it took on step back and disappeared from her sight.

"Briar! What's up?" Maple shouted to her. Briarlight tilted her head in confusion.

_'Who was that? Was it another cat from around here?'_ She wondered.

"Briarlight!"

The warrior gasped when Katie and Maple were suddenly next to her. Katie cuffed her playfully on the ear with a grin. "What's wrong, dear? Cat got ya tongue?" She asked amusingly. That made Maple laugh out loud. Even Briarlight couldn't help herself in joining.

"No, no. That's not it. Just thought I saw some cat that way," She explained, pointing with her paw over to the bushes. Katie's attention turned serious upon looking at the same bushes. Her right ear tilted back slightly, while her left perked more in alert.

"Um, Katie? You going to check it out?" Maple inquired softly. Katie's nose flared as she took in a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, her eyes a little dilated.

"Yeah. You three just get into the beast, 'kay?" She mumbled.

"But you sure you should go alone, sis?" SJ asked. "I mean shouldn't you ask Hansel or Rover to go with you for assistance?"

"Do you think I can't take care of myself, SJ?" Katie countered bluntly, softly glaring at her nestmate. "I'll be fine. Your guys' safety is what matters most. I'll be home tonight. I promise." She licked SJ and Maple both behind the ears reassuringly. Without another word, the barn leader pounced into the bushes.

"What if it was another cat from this barn? There isn't anything dangerous about that now, is there?" Briarlight sighed, resting underneath the monster's belly.

"Katie is always skeptical about outsiders, because if it was another cat from a different barn, they would've just walked into the barn and greeted her. This isn't the only barn around here with a large group of cats," SJ explained. "Nowadays, with the death of so many cats going on, Katie has to be on guard constantly."

_'It sounds as if they're having almost the exact same kinds of problems that the Clans are having back home,'_ Briarlight thought. _'I wonder if they're doing okay still.'_

Barking noises erupted into the air, making Briarlight jump. The four dogs came whipping towards the monster and them. King and Lucinda licked Briarlight in affection, making her giggle. However, Bugger and Evan stayed back, as if thinking Katie would come back and attack them.

Riley and Trent walked up next, both deep in conversation. Briarlight could feel the shyness wavering out of Riley, being replaced with bubbling laughter. _'She must enjoy the presence of this particular No-Collar. He must be pretty special.'_

Trent shook his paw with Riley's, a friendly grin on his face. Riley's was the same. She waved him goodbye and bent down, picking up Briarlight and placing her into the monster. At one glance to her No-Collar friend showed her slightly blushing, but it was vanishing quickly. Maple, SJ, Lucinda, and King jumped into the monster, resulting in the monster's rear to shut on them.

Feeling it awaken, Briarlight craned her head to get one last look at Trent and his dogs. Unfortunately, in her basket and with her body still half-unusable, she couldn't catch a glimpse at them as the monster was guided away from the barn. Sighing, she sank down into the blankets. _'Please be home soon, Katie,'_ She thought worriedly.

.

.

After arriving at the nesthold and a few hours of napping, Briarlight was again taken into Riley's examining room. Placed carefully on the table, Briarlight went through the same procedure done before on her, though this time, she wasn't as finicky on Riley touching her. Once done, Riley walked out of the room, grabbing an odd obstacle and began talking into it, clearly speaking to something on the other end.

Maple and SJ chatted with her in the time being, both still questioning on who would've killed Rafael. By now, the sun had begun to set behind the mountains casted far off in the distance. Maple had asked plenty of great questions on the Clans, mainly on ThunderClan. Briarlight explained as best as she could, feeling like she was teaching two excited and curious apprentices the ways of ThunderClan. It brought a sense of pride in her heart.

However, soon she grew weary, settling down on the metal examining table. Her eyes grew heavy with tiredness, closing and allowing her to drift into a deep slumber. Maple and SJ smiled at the sleeping warrior, jumping down from the table, careful as to not wake her up. Just as they squeezed through the door, Riley came back, a fellow co-worker beside her. Both No-Collars were dressed in scrub gowns.

Riley winked at them and walked into the room with her friend. Taking out a syringe, she gathered a clear liquid substance into it. She turned around and injected half of it into Briarlight's neck carefully. The she-cat never moved or woke from her sleep.

.

.

As the two No-Collars began hooking up wires to the warrior she-cat, Maple gave a low snake-hiss. "You think she'll be okay?" The Savannah asked quietly.

"As long as everything goes perfect, Briar will be just fine," SJ said soothingly, licking her sister's forehead. "But we should give our prayers in case."

.

.

Katie knew it was a bad idea, venturing out this far without Hansel or another cat with her. But she also knew, with the large quantity of she-cats plump with kits now, harboring a tom or she-cat could end in a bad consequence.

_'So much has happened, and I feel so punished by it,' _She thought angrily. _'If Amy was here, she would've known what to do right. But that's just it; _she isn't_.'_

A thorn bush rustled loudly, catching her attention. She braced herself, her shoulders stiffening and stomach muscles contracting in.

"Do not fret, m'lady. It is only I." The masculine voice said, followed with a chuckle. Katie sighed loudly, relaxing her tense form.

"It's been a while, huh, Scar?" She said simply as a lean ginger and white tabby tom emerged from his hiding.

"Too long, if I do say myself," He laughed. After a moment, his voice turned grave. "Through the grapevine along the hours, I heard what has happened at your barn today, Katie."

"Yes, and I presume that cat that was spying on my family was one of yours; though you didn't have to go the distance of it, Scar." She countered, licking a paw.

"We both know it has to be done in order to bring whomever is killing our brethren to his or hers own death. Much as I don't like it, m'lady, it was something I knew you would catch up on doing later."

Katie chuckled abruptly. "You pick up on things too quickly, Scar. But, that's why your barn voted you barn leader, huh?"

"Speaking of voting," The ginger changed the course of their subject, "from what my cat had mentioned to me, you've brought in a wild cat. Was he lying?"

Katie was quiet for a long time, glaring at him coldly. A part of the tom felt as if he'd taken a step too far on the beautiful black and white she-cat. Finally, she answered, "Your cat speaks the truth, Scar. I've known you for a long time, so I can't lie to you."

"Yet you still lie to the other leader? Tell me, Katie, do you honestly think this—this lying through your own words to other cats—will get you anywhere? We're dealing with a murderer on a mission to prove something."

"But we do not know what that mission to prove something is, Scar! We haven't known for almost _**four and a half seasons**_. Originally, it presumed to think it was for mating reasons. That is…until he—or she—killed your mate."

Scar bowed his head. "The same goes for you. He killed your most trusted and strongest she-cat, Katie. Losing my mate, Skye, and our sister, Sophia, took the hardest toll on both of our clowders. Just when we get close to finding out the truth, our cat vanishes, leaving us all in a turmoil of sorrow and confusion."

Katie sighed irritably. "I just want it all to stop. I can understand if a cat kills accidentally or for self-defense, but this…" Her voice trailed off. For the first time since she was a young she-cat, Katie felt lost, not worthy of her leadership. She didn't feel like the she-cat who was proud to have taken up the role of barn leader in the words of Amy.

Scar placed his tail on her shoulder. "For all the moons that this has been going on, m'lady, I've thought the same as you think now;_ 'Am I worthy enough on the behalf of Amy's words?'_ But I know that I need to keep going, because it is what she would've wanted me to do so. And I know she needs you to keep leading her group. _Her_ legacy. As well as yours."

Katie nodded, smiling at his attempt to cheer her up. "You've know me for so long, Scar. Almost up there with Hansel. You were one of Amy's best guards, and her best friend too, even **after** you left the nesthold she lived in when you were a kit. I know she would've never said such a thing to any cat, but I knew it was there in her eyes whenever you were around. And you're right; we need to get to the bottom of this," Katie paused, then gave a laugh that startled even herself. "In some ways, I have a hunch that my newest member—the wild cat—Briarlight, was sent on Amy's behalf."

Scar chuckled in amusement. "Now that there concludes that Amy does have a heart for any type of cat," He said. The ginger and white tom's hazel eyes glistened in the moonlight. Shrugging his shoulders, he began walking away.

"May our Great Cat Spirits of the Meadow walk in your path of justice, Scar." Katie called out. Scar waved his tail in response.

"The same for you, m'lady."

* * *

**If you thought that shadow cat originally WAS the killer, sorry to break it to ya! XD The thought did occur to me, however~ B) But you do get to meet Scar, as well as finding a little bit more about Amy's past/who was part of her life :)**

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**Cats all come in various shapes and sizes. You've got your big cats of the wild, medium and cats of the wild, domestic cats, and feral cats. The list is absolutely endless. But, they surprisingly have a similar tie with humans. Dogs may be smart and have big brains; but their brain isn't as closely related to a humans as one might expect. Get out your pens and notes, ladies and gentleman, cause a cat's brain is biologically more similar to a human's! This is because both humans and cats have identical regions in their brains that are the main factors for expressing emotions. And as ANY cat lover/owner knows, cats are very independent creatures. They are North America's most popular pet AND the world's most popular pet as of 2013. It's kinda ironic, for—according to several census/surveys and researched information—in the US between 2007—08 and again in 2009—10, it was confirmed that dog-owning households outnumbered that of cat-owning households. **

**[As calculations shown on Wikipedia, on the page "Pet" that was updated August 7] Worldwide there are over 202 million cats, while in the US alone there are about 93.6 million. For dogs, Worldwide there are a little over 171 million dogs, while in the US alone there are about 77.5 million. –holds out her hands- I rest my case.**

**Wrapping up, there is no bragging or exaggeration when it comes to researched facts. Cats are good and similar to humans on some levels; dogs are too, but maybe not as much. As any cat owner knows this phrase (or something close to it):**

_"Dogs have owners; Cats have staff"_** ~ quoted by Anonymous**

**Review if you have questions. Comment if you liked the IFT or want to say how you like the story is so far.**

**Until next time~ **


	17. Chapter 15

**GAH! I'm so sorry about the lateness ^^; Had quite a bit going on and so I forgot to edit and post another chapter or two. But the wait is over. You'll soon find out why ;)**

**Hope you enjoy! Review your comments, questions or concerns if you have any~**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Briarlight groaned, her whole body feeling heavier than usual. Squinting her eyes open, Briarlight watched blurry figures appear in front of her, one whiter than the light behind them, while the other one was pitch black as the night..

"S…Soul? Is…is that you?" She croaked weakly.

"Shh…relax Briarlight. We will not hurt you. Not in the slightest." Soul whispered softly to her. Briarlight rolled her head back groggily, exhaling in a shallow breath.

"What's…what's happening to me? Why am I here again? What's going on?" Briarlight felt her throat tightening up in fear. She didn't understand why she was back in the Nothingness. She didn't understand why she hadn't woken up by now.

"Relax, Live One. Like Big One said, there's nothing for you to be worrying about." Little One scoffed, moving away from Briarlight's view. When she tried to get up, her forelegs gave out from underneath her weight.

"Wh…Why didn't you tell me…Soul?" She asked, taking in a shallow breath. "That you…you knew…Hansel and Rover…"

Soul looked away from her, his gaze staring off into the foggy distance. Briarlight couldn't lift her head to get a better angle of his face, but she felt like she had hit a certain point inside the deceased tom.

"I couldn't have told you until you discovered yourself the truth, Briar." He finally spoke, surprising her.

"What do you mean?"

"If I had told you prior to your departure from your homeland, more than likely you would've objected and stayed, thus the...killings would've proceeded, growing worse and no cat would've stood up to protect their right of justice."

"What more can I do? I don't have my legs back yet." Briarlight protested weakly.

Soul chuckled. "Does it not occur to you wild cats when something good is being done to you upon falling into your slumbers?" At the confusion swimming in her eyes, his lips turned up slightly. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

"Soul…where's…I need…speak…Amy," Briarlight said, gritting her teeth as a wave of nausea fell on her. Luckily, Soul understood her incoherent words, for he walked away from her. Briarlight closed her eyes tiredly, picturing Soul fading away into Nothingness and leaving her alone once more.

A hard shove on her side made her wince and open her eyes again. She would've gasped had her throat not felt like honey had been shoved into it.

"You needed me, kit?" Amy said, frowning. As usual, the beautiful yet short-tempered tortoiseshell didn't appear in the slightest interest on Briarlight.

"…Why?" Briarlight merely asked, sighing in exhaustion. "You…you lied…me all this time…"

"Hold the phone, kit!" Amy hissed, though she didn't get in Briarlight's face like all the other times. "I never lied to you. I gave you a request, you accepted it, and you are here finding and solving this murder too. Like Soul said, saying something back then would've changed what you're doing now entirely. Besides," She paused, running her paw over her ear, "what would you have done then if you wouldn't have found what now can do for you."

Briarlight, through her foggy state, hated how Amy was dead on right once more. "You…could've…I mean you were…leader of barn…"

"Yes, yes, I led them. Proudly, in fact. More so than that old hag could've," _'She means Billie again…'_ "But I can't begin to explain how frustrating this predicament is. And I know the cats in the Meadow know who is doing this. And they won't tell me or anyone in the Nothingness because we…"

"You…you what, Amy?" Briarlight urged. She had a feeling that she was getting to one of the reasons behind what has been happening.

Sadly, it dropped away as soon as Amy shook her head. "I cannot tell you, Briar, for if I do…bad things will happen to me and the others once more. Our numbers are growing, but the darkness is growing faster than we are. There isn't much time left. Please…save us from…" Amy's grave voice began to fade off. The darkness was creeping up Briarlight's consciousness.

"Wait! No…please, come back…_please…_" Briarlight tried to call out, but it was too much for her. With a final sigh, she sank into her sleep once more.

Briarlight could hear her own heartbeat thrumming in her ears loudly. So loudly that it hurt. Her body felt numb, a huge struggle just to open her eyes. In the end, the warrior forced herself to wait until she knew she had enough strength to obtain full consciousness.

_'Why am I so tired? I must've slept longer than expect. I wonder what time it is…' _Briarlight thought. However, they were drowned out by the muffling noises just beyond her reach of hearing. With reluctance, she opened her eyes, this time being not as hard.

As her vision cleared, she saw bars in front of her. Confused, she attempted to get up, but she was still too weak. "Am I…Am I in a cage?" She said aloud to nothing in particular. Fear trickled down her spine, making her shudder.

"Maple?! SJ! Guys?!" She yowled in fright. As she began to nervously fidget, a sharp pain on the lower part of her back. She tried to move, causing her legs to cringe up and burn from non-usage.

_'Wait… my legs…wha…?'_

Briarlight shakily turned her upper body and looked at her backside. Upon doing so revealed her legs wrapped up in bandages, as well as the lower part of her back. She gulped and tested her movement.

Her right leg moved on her command. Her heart skipped a beat.

"My legs…I can move… **I can move!** I can feel my legs!" She screamed happily, tears suddenly flooding down her face. Briarlight bowed her head and allowed herself to cry; to cry the anger of not being able to move right anymore out, the shame upon herself, the joy that she had stayed alive and not died;

The relief of surviving and getting back what she wanted most.

_"Briar?"_

Briarlight's head snapped up in surprise. _'Riley! She knows my name?!'_ "Riley! Riley!" She cried out from the cage. Within moments, the female herbal No-Collar was in front of her and opening the cage. Eager to show her friend, Briarlight began to get up, not caring that her energy level was dwindling fast. As if she could read her mind, Riley picked up Briarlight with far more extra care than Briarlight intentionally expected.

_"You shouldn't push yourself, hon,"_ Riley whispered softly in Briarlight's ear. _"We don't want your stitches to come out just yet. You just woke up from a four day coma, you know. Here, let's get out of this room for now."_ Riley walked out of the surgery room and out to the porch, where the night air was warm and crisp thanks to a calm breeze.

_'I was asleep for four sunrises? But…it only seemed like I was asleep through till the afternoon.'_ Briarlight thought, feeling tired again. _'I guess that's what animals go through when Riley tries to heal us.'_

Riley sat down in the hammock, one hindleg out to rock the stringed bed back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm. Briarlight sighed into Riley's chest. They were quiet for a long time, just allowing themselves to fall into Riley's motherly rocking.

_ "You know, hon, I know you were special because I had a dream not too long ago. It was just after I had finished doing surgery on you,"_ She chuckled, rubbing Briarlight behind her head. _"I could've sworn I saw Billie. And she was talking to me! Telling me I was never alone, and a gift would be shown to me. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but I believed in my hunch, which kept telling me that that same gift would come."_

Riley fell silent again, but Briarlight felt like where they were now was perfect for a one-sided conversation. She purred into Riley's rubbing, urging her to continue. With a soft laugh, the No-Collar did so, _"_You_ were that gift, little one. And I know it was you because Billie had sat in front of a briar flower. And she never was a fan of flowers unless they meant something important to her or to us. And you are as beautiful as a briar flower._

_ "I'm…glad, for everything. I have a fabulous family, and what's more,"_ Briarlight angled her head so she could see Riley's face. The No-Collar leaned down and kissed her nose sweetly, _"You brought me back happiness. I almost thought I was meant not for that but instead for depression and solitude. Even with my cats around nowadays, I'm so swarmed with work at my clinic. There were some points that I thought…"_ Riley shook her head, _"I'll never think of those thoughts, because they are the cause of my sadness, my anger. I want to be happy, and you showed me even at the lowest point of life, there's still a chance to get back up and stay up until the end. You and Maple and SJ and Katie and Lucinda and King make me happy whenever I come home from placing another animal down. So thank you."_

Briarlight, touched at her words, meowed in return. Her belief of Riley as a No-Collar—a Twoleg—changed instantly.

_'My father…everyone at ThunderClan was wrong; not all No-Collars are harsh and cold, willing to even kill an animal without the slightest sense of compassion. Riley proves this. As does that male No-Collar, Trent. They have welcomed me into their hearts…and they have been welcomed into mine.'_

* * *

**Short, I understand! But was it worth it? Review your answer~ B3 **

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**Many cat owners or lovers might knows this already. A cat who rubs up against you is not only giving you a sign of affection, but it's also rubbing their scent on you; kinda like how a dog walks up and pees on a tree, marking it as his/hers. Cats have scent glands found in their cheeks next to their mouths. They have scent glands on their paws, and in the middle of their legs. Cats also have scent glands at the base of their tails. In many cases, if you have a tom (unneutered male cat; check out chapter 12 for terms) then it's possible he will spray to mark his territory. Female cats who are in heat also spray to mark their territory. Another way cats will mark their scents is through kneading. Kneading is common through domesticated cats where, in the state of some sort of relaxation or ease, a cat will repeatedly push and pull out their paws on an object (ex. blanket, sofa, yourself XD) It's considered to many a state of stretching for cats. **

**Wrapping it up, if your cat will not stop rubbing you or kneading you, it's more than likely they love you so much they are marking you as theirs XD Showing to other animals that they own you more so than you own them maybe… ^^; **

**Until next time~**


	18. Chapter 16

**So jumbled around, my brain XC I can't focus…yet somehow I managed another chapter. **

**Hope you enjoy! Review if you have comments, questions, etc.**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Weeks had gone by with the result of Briarlight's surgery. And she had never felt any better than waltzing happily around on her revived hindlegs with Maple and SJ.

At first, it was tough, since it had been moons since she walked like a normal cat. She felt like a newborn kit, trying to walk for the first time instead of crawling around the queen's den. However, sooner rather than later, she grew accustomed once more.

The first two weeks were the worst, where she knew she couldn't walk still thanks to the annoyingly itching casts Riley had attached to both legs, along with wrapping bandages around the lower section of her back. When they blissfully came off, Briarlight saw that she would have three scars, one on each thigh, and the last one being near the base of her rear and tail.

Nonetheless, it felt like those scars were worth it.

As the sun began to rise over the horizon, revealing a blanket of fog hovering over grass, Briarlight began to stir from her sleep. With a long yawn, she blinked her eyes open, smiling at the loud, deep snoring coming from behind her. Hot breath blew slowly over her pelt, making her shudder and giggle quietly. Lucinda had grown a fondness towards her, and Briarlight—oddly enough—didn't mind it. The White Swiss Shepherd Dog never left Briarlight alone, as if she was a pup to the she-dog instead of a cat.

Sleeping on the ground next to them in his bed was King, soundly echoing his thoughts from his sleep. The German Shepherd, older as he was, didn't take such a close bond with the warrior she-cat, but they had a mutual agreement through their unspoken words. Briarlight smiled at the sight of Maple and SJ curled into loose balls by King's belly, while Katie dominated them all by secluding herself by Riley's face. It was one of the few occasions that the beautiful black and white she-cat had decided staying home, rather than sleeping in the barn.

Briarlight groomed herself lightly, still sleepy, when a sudden blaring noise erupted around her. Startled, she yowled in fright, jumping several feet in the air, resulting her being on top of Lucinda, scaring the dog awake into a barking frenzy with King. Maple and SJ hissed in shock, looking about in a frantic attempt to understand what was going on.

Katie and Riley were the only two who awoke in a semi calm stature from the obnoxious sound.

_'Who in the name of StarClan could that be?!'_ Briarlight thought irritably. Riley saw her look and smirked lazily. The female No-Collar picked up the odd device Briarlight had heard to be known as a 'cell phone'. Opening the contraption, Riley spoke in a groggy voice, pausing for several moments. Briarlight felt her shock grow in waves. With tense batted breath, she waited for the No-Collar to continue.

Suddenly, Riley sat upright, alert and wide-awake compared to moments before. Katie merely blinked, her left ear cocked forward, her right tilted back. A sign of intriguing curiosity in her golden predator eyes. Briarlight's face burst into heat, however she knew it was from Riley. It was that same bubbly feeling Riley was starting to gather up on.

And she and the others knew there was only one No-Collar who made their stern-headed friend this flustered.

Ironically, he lived only a few miles from where they were.

Nodding numbly, Riley shut her phone, frowning, clearly disappointed that she had flustered so easily. Briarlight couldn't help but laugh at her. Riley raised an eyebrow at her, puffing up her cheeks as the other animals joined in. _"What are you looking at, you crazy animals?"_ She huffed childishly.

Throwing the sheets off of her muscular form, Riley stretched her arms over her head and headed downstairs for some breakfast. The animals followed her in a unified line.

However, just as Briarlight reached the kitchen, Katie touched her on the back. "We'll have our breakfast outside, Briar. For now, it's time for your training."

"Training? But I thought I wasn't ready yet by Riley." Briarlight persisted. But Katie shook her head in disapproval.

"Riley's just being extra cautious, Briar. I have faith that this will definitely help you. No arguments." The mere pointed look on the older she-cat's face made Briarlight shut up and nod in forced agreement. Looking at Maple and SJ didn't reassure her at all, for they had told the warrior sunrises ago that at some point she would have to face up to Katie alone and train with her.

Today was that point.

Heaving an annoyed sigh, Briarlight caught up to Katie, who was out past the porch steps and sitting in the field of grass. "So…what do we start with?" _'Please let it not be an ambush attack like Amy's was.'_

"We start off with walking. However, we will walk at the same pace. No faster or slower than I go."

"Why?"

"This will help you flex your muscles properly. Most of the time, when a cat runs, they don't walk first. They just spring out and charge, leaving a potential of springing a muscle or even pulling it, resulting in a lost meal for your family." Katie explained simply. Standing, she began walking away once more. Briarlight didn't hesitate in following her.

Walking wasn't the right word Briarlight thought Katie and her were doing now. It was more of a trot. A trot that never wavered in any way. At one point, Briarlight's legs started to hurt. But Katie still didn't stop 'walking'. She lead Briarlight around a large boulder twice, announcing stretching her muscles like so would prove thankful later.

Briarlight sat down heavily against the porch step, panting lightly. Katie scoffed. "It seems staying in the house all this time has made you a little…lazy." A smirk broke over her serious face.

The warrior felt anger spike inside of her. She stood on all four and glared at the black and white she-cat. "I'm not lazy! I'm just getting used to walking itself. I can trot and run if someone asks me to." She said, proudly puffing out her chest.

"Yes, well, when you get back to your Clan, Briar, you need to realize that you have to have your powers fully unlocked. Danger and darkness doesn't wait around for that," Katie replied, circling her. "You have to be strong; stronger than what you're at now, but not the strongest. That takes it too far if I do say so myself. You need to be fast, though; faster than even the speediest cat you know." She pushed Briarlight up to her feet again, fixing her posture as she continued. "I can see the itchy fire burning inside of you, Briar. Amy had the same grasp on everyone, but hers was so much stronger.

"That desire in you? I know you feel it too. And you must embrace it willingly. Let your anger not be the main fuel of your speed, Briarlight. Your pride, your love, joy, and the faith you have in others will assist you. But what is the biggest thing you must unlock," She pushed a paw on Briarlight's chest, "is believing in yourself."

Briarlight felt flustered underneath Katie's intense gaze. This she-cat was no joke in her stern leadership; but the compassion and honesty was not held back in the slightest. Nodding nervously, Briarlight said, "Okay."

However, it made her receive a hard swipe to the ear, making her yelp in pain. Katie glared at her. "I don't see that faith, Briar! You'll need it, and you'll need it **now**," From over her shoulder, Katie's tail pointed towards the woods in the distance, "I want you to sprint to that forest, jump over the creek, circle around one of the older trees, jump back over, and sprint back here."

Briarlight laughed in disbelief. "You can't be serious—"

"GO!" Katie snarled, swiping her paw at Briarlight. The warrior ducked away, and began to run across the lawn. She heard the she-cat behind her scream, "FASTER!" So she did run faster.

It was like a flood of adrenaline burst through Briarlight's legs. The wind felt blinding, so many scents rushing by. And yet, it felt wonderful. _To run!_ Running that she hadn't been able to do for months, which seemed like seasons ago. Briarlight took in a deep breath and just _ran._

_'This is what I miss! I never had to run very much in ThunderClan, since it was all apprentice work I did. This is completely amazing!'_ She couldn't help but squeal in joy, using the strength of her hind legs to pounce high in the air.

Her heart soared upon swiftly racing into the forest. An idea popped into the young, brown she-cat's mind. With a mischievous grin, she race straight towards a large oak tree.

_'When you fight a warrior, you must expect the unexpected.' _Amy's words from when they were secretly training in Briarlight's dreampaws echoed in her mind, _'You must become the unexpected, however stupid it may seem. That's where you gain the upper advantage.'_

Just before she impacted the tree, Briarlight jumped to the side, feeling the pointy parts of the bark tickle her side. Smiling widely, she did it again to another tree, feeling like a kit all over again; bouncy and full of energy.

As she rounded a fourth trunk, Briarlight gasped, not seeing that the next one was much closer than before. She tried to skidded to a halt, but the ground underneath her was still muddy from the snow melting weeks before as well as from the muckiness it naturally was. Stars exploded in her eyes as the bailed right into the oak trunk. All that adrenaline and excitement now was gone, leaving behind a very shaking and dizzy warrior.

Groaning, she collapsed onto the ground, her shoulders burning so bad she had to grit her teeth from crying. For a moment, Briarlight could've sworn she heard laughing around her. Suddenly feeling shy, she curled into a ball and forced down the wave of sickness that churned in her stomach.

"Hey!" Katie's voice snapped Briarlight upright. She hadn't realized that she had passed out until Katie's paw was nudging her side.

"Oh! I'm sorry Katie! I-I-I was just trying a new move that I was taught, and—"

"You can save the explaining, girl. The dent in the tree does the explaining." Katie said, a smirk on her lips. Briarlight growled, angry that she did something so mouse-brained.

"Sorry," Briarlight mumbled under her breath. Katie eyed her for a moment, then shrugged.

"Everyone make mistakes. Just be more careful." A pregnant pause floated between them. "Are you okay?"

Briarlight looked at her in surprise. Here was the same cat that leads with a powerful paw, asking her if she was okay from bashing her head right in the middle of the tree trunk. Numbly, she nodded, but that caused another headache to throb over her forehead.

Katie sighed. "Come on, get up. We're not done with our training just yet. You still have yet to jump to and from the creek, no?" Again, she smirked. Briarlight hid the urge to roll her eyes and got up slowly. Still shaky, she wobbled away from the dented trunk. Katie gave her a nudge on the rump for her to continue.

"Forget the pain that's inside of you, kit. Drown away those annoying and pesky things. Take slow deep breaths, and let your body and heart take you away." Katie whispered in a softer tone.

Briarlight closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, feeling her headache go away slowly. Her walking grew sturdier, and more brisk. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the forest whip behind her as she began to run. Though she didn't look back for Katie, she had a hunch that the she-cat was observing her still.

_'She and Amy never to cease to amuse me.'_ She thought dryly. Pushing it out of her mind, Briarlight focus on her breathing, which came out in shallow pants. She breathed in deeply, and felt her heart throb less.

Soon, the creek's edge came into view. A stone of fear dropped in her stomach. _'I won't be able to stop in time to jump!'_

_'When you charge into danger, kit, even the slightest of hesitation will result in a wound, regardless if it may be fatal or not.'_ Amy's voice growled in her mind. _'Take chances, and continue to charge!'_

With newly found energy, Briarlight ran impossibly harder, faster to the edge. Once her forepaws touched it, she brought her hindlegs in, pushing up and forward. The ground underneath her fell away and air weaved under her belly as she seemingly flew over the creek.

Bracing herself, Briarlight's paws touched the other side. She gasped as her muscles sprang out uncomfortably, causing her to stumble and fall. The brown she-cat rolled several more fox-lengths, grunting in pain when she skidded to a stop. _'Fox-breath! How come I fell?! I felt like I was doing it right!'_

"Here's your second mistake, kit," Katie said on the other side, sitting down to lick her paw. "You had a great jump, but your jump itself wasn't good enough to land it effortlessly."

"What did I do wrong?" Briarlight yowled in anger. "I jumped as best as I could!"

"You jumped way too high for that to be a good one. You thought placing all of your energy into a jump over a simple creek would be perfect. But," Katie backed up from the edge, wiggled her rump a little, and charged. Briarlight gasped as the black and white she-cat leapt over, landing on all fours. She smirked. "you hesitated."

"No I didn't!" Briarlight protested, ear flat against her head.

"Yes you did. I'll admit, you did stick a nice jump, but you didn't believe. What were you thinking when you got closer to the creek, huh?"

"I was thinking how I would make it! And…" Briarlight paused, remembering. "I thought I wouldn't be able to stop in time."

"That's where you lost your momentum to continue. Right now, you can't place that dread and negative aspect on yourself. It will result in a blockage."

"A blockage?"

"Yes. A blockage in your powers will not allow you to use them. It could be very dangerous, depending on the situation at paw." Katie warned.

"So how do I de-block my powers?" She asked.

"Well, first we need to get you accustomed to running so fast. You did great in the running department. But it takes a little more time with such special powers that I can sense from you," Katie explained carefully. "I may've taken a pawstep too far for today, and I'm sorry for that."

"No! StarClan no, you didn't, Katie!" Briarlight protested kindly. "I'm just new to this that's all. And with the darkness I keep dreaming about, I need to accomplish my abilities quickly."

Katie eyed her for a moment, then placed her tail on her shoulders. "All I can tell you after that is to not overwork yourself, like I do to myself."

.

.

So, in the end, Katie and Briarlight would stay out in the woods for several sunrises on end, training to be faster. Briarlight enjoyed the time with the older she-cat, looking up to her now as a mother-figure, almost like Millie.

However, during the training sessions, the black and white barn leader never held back a comment in the actions Briarlight did. Yet they weren't all bad ones. Whenever the warrior did something wrong—like miscalculating a turn, or ramming into a tree on accident—Katie merely gave some tips and reassuring advice. In turn, Briarlight would succeed and be rewarded with a nod and a proud smirk.

It may have been nothing to others, but Briarlight's heart proudly thrummed every time she overcame another obstacle.

Maple and SJ visited, along with Riley. Somehow, the No-Collar knew that Katie was teaching Briarlight something, though she didn't know specifically what. She kept her distance, however relieved the cuts and bruises that the two she-cats inflicted on each other, regardless if it was accidental or purpose.

Briarlight was brought out of her thoughts as she clumsily skidded to a stop. Her gut feelings were weighing deep inside of her, making her senses sharpen. She looked around, finding nothing out of the ordinary of the forest. The trees swayed hypnotically above her head, the grass pelting whispering eerily to her ears. Heaving out a sigh, Briarlight focused on the ground.

If there was one thing Katie constantly hounded Briarlight on, it was sensing things before they came. The warrior she-cat knew her powers never would rely on hearing of the wind—much like Maple's—the bristling and rustling of bushes and leaves, or the scents of various objects, including her enemies.

It was pinpointed on ground-feeling.

Katie taught her that a cat can feel his enemy approach from approximately twenty paws away, maybe even thirty; which was quite a distance, compared to what her mentor, Thornclaw, had explained where an enemy could lunge at any point. When she ran hard, knowing when and where a cat is is vital, so that she didn't have to slam headfirst into them.

Ears folded back, Briarlight closed her eyes and pictured in her mind a layout of the forest. She felt the thrumming of distance squirrels, their paws energetic and anxious as they dug for berries and nuts. If she focused hard enough, she ground-felt birds lightly jumping on the ground, pecking for worms and roots.

But a much louder, harder thumping was indicated around fifteen paws from her left. It was far too heavy to be a squirrel, even a rabbit, but not as large as a fox's pawsteps. Briarlight smiled._ 'Found you, kitty.' _She thought sneakily.

The thrumming was quickening, coming closer and closer, faster than the pumping of her own excited heart.

Twenty…fifteen…ten…six…

At five paws, Briarlight jumped away just as Katie sprung from the bushes, landing a foxlength from her. The barn leader never stopped moving, charging with an evil glare in her eyes. Briarlight braced herself and ducked underneath the she-cat and used her hindlegs to kick Katie's own out from under her. With a yelp, the black and white she-cat fell to the side as Briarlight jumped onto all fours.

But Katie was still quicker. She rolled over and shot off her hindquarters, tackling Briarlight to the ground hard. The warrior she-cat felt the wind being kicked out of her lungs in a _'whoosh'_. Katie swiped her across the face, leaving her right cheek burning with an oncoming bruise.

With a grunt, Briarlight brought in her hindlegs and, with the force of her hindpaws, slashed into Katie's belly enough to make her yowl in slight pain. She used the momentum to headbutt the barn leader right under the chin. Feeling the bones jarring, Briarlight pushed Katie off of her roughly.

Both she-cats were now panting, eyeing each other with no hesitation waving in-between them. Briarlight took the first step, colliding with Katie in a fit of flying fur and sheathed claws. When they pushed away again, Katie finally collapsed to the ground, her sides heaving shallowly.

Still cautious, Briarlight took slow steps forward. Katie was very sneaky, surprising the warrior at every possibility she could get. The last time she had surprised her was when they ventured out to a rockier part of the forest, scaring her so hard that Briarlight fell over the side and into a large yet shallow pond. She was still grumbling about it.

Briarlight stood over the aging she-cat. Only up close could any cat know that Katie was getting up there in her age. Her sleek and glossy fur was losing its smoothness, turning from a pitch night darkness to a slight ashy tone. Her muzzle dotted with gray as well.

The gut feeling was back, and Briarlight simply reacted on instincts now. She jumped back in time to avoid Katie's teeth sinking into her shoulder, as well as a paw to hold her down. Fur bristling, Briarlight waited as Katie calmly got up, her whole body shaking in chuckles.

"That wasn't funny you know!" Briarlight pouted, sitting down with a light grunt.

"Oh, yes it was, for an odd cat like myself," Katie said, smirking proudly. "However, in that spirit, you have improved drastically from just a few weeks ago. You're sharper, stronger, faster, and learning better now. I'm most impressed."

There was something in her voice that indicated to Briarlight that there was more. Her shoulders slumped forward in disappointment. "You still think I'm having a blockage in my powers huh?"

"Sadly, yes. I hate having that dread feeling in my throat, but it won't go away," Katie said, licking a paw and running it over her ear.

Briarlight felt upset, but said nothing. Katie kept saying that she needed to break the blockage, but the warrior she-cat just didn't know how to. She kept thinking it was her running harder and harder, but it didn't seem to fit the case, making her angrier. She thought it would come to her by her dreams, but nothing proved that true.

"Think we should head back?" Briarlight asked, changing the subject.

Katie nodded silently and got up, stretching her muscle from the intense training they'd just completed.

As they began walking again, Briarlight felt the ground shake from underneath her. She stopped, feeling the hairs on her back stand on end. Someone was approaching them.

"Katie! Katie!"

"Maple?" Briarlight chirped. The large Savannah cat barreled from the bushes, her fur wild and her eyes holding terror.

"What's the matter, Maple?" Katie asked. "What's going on?"

"It's…it's…" She paused, regaining her breath. "Melissa has come over. Something's terribly wrong!"

"What do you mean?" Briarlight asked. She hadn't been back to the barn since her surgery with Riley. Lately, though, Maple and even a few barn cats have volunteered as messengers for Briarlight so that she would be kept up to date in the important stuff.

And nothing had gone wrong up until now.

Saying nothing, Briarlight and Katie raced back to the nesthold with Maple. When they arrived, panting very little, Briarlight noticed a beautiful russet and white she-cat, sleek and muscular, talking to SJ as they bounded up the porch steps.

"Melissa! I brought them." Maple said. Melissa turned around, revealing her emerald eyes. Katie walked up, brushing against the she-cat in formal introduction.

"Sorry I wasn't here before, Melissa," Katie sighed. "What seems to be the problem?"

Melissa didn't speak for a long moment, making the dread in Briarlight's stomach grow. _'Oh no…not again…please not that…' _She prayed.

Katie was the first to speak up again. "It's happened again huh?" Melissa nodded gravely. For the first time since Briarlight arrived, Katie cursed a word that made even Maple and SJ gasp in shock.

"I think you should come with me. Waiting for Riley to come home will take too long, Katie. It's pretty bad this time."

"When isn't it 'pretty bad'?" Katie growled low. But Melissa shook her head again.

"You don't understand, barn leader. This time we found four bodies."

"_Four_?! Oh Meadow this is terrible…" SJ shuddered in fear.

Katie closed her eyes, her shoulders sagging down more. It showed even more of her aging than any of the she-cats would care to admit.

"Okay. Let's head out to the barn, Mel. Maple. SJ. You two stay here with Briarlight while I'm gone." As Katie got up, Briarlight placed her tail on the barn leader's shoulder.

"I'm coming with."

"What part of 'staying here' do you not get, kit? This is personal business now, and I have to calm the others down." Katie hissed rudely. But Briarlight refused to stand down this time.

"Someone is killing innocent cats of your barn and others too, Katie. Whoever this killer is, they know they're taking risks. If I come, I'll be on lookout. Please, let me come with." Briarlight added, folding her ears back slightly in a sign of stepping down from her position in objecting Katie.

Before Katie could counter, Melissa stepped in. "We don't have much time, ma'am. Perhaps she and the girls should come. After all, any cat that is welcomed into our family is part of it you know."

After a long moment, Katie finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. But if anything happens that you cause, I can't protect you from it. As barn leader, taking sides is very rare. I have to make decisions reasonable for all."

Briarlight, excited yet nervous, nodded mutely. Maple nudged her in acknowledgement, winking as they jumped down from the porch and began their run to the barn. "That was very brave of you to do, Briar." She said kindly.

She smiled in response. "Yeah. I just hope that I can be of some help."

"Hope is what we are all doing for different reasons, kitty cat." SJ mumbled beside her quietly.

The run didn't really take long, considering when the monster guided them to the barn it only took a few minutes. Briarlight was surprised that upon arrival, Katie, Melissa, and SJ were panting harder than her or Maple. _'Guess we're built for running after all,'_ She thought.

"Madam Katie! Over here!" Viola's plump body clumsily waddled over to them. She seemed surprised to see Briarlight standing and there no less, but it was quickly replaced with fear as Katie walked over to her.

"Viola, you need to go and rest. Seeing whatever it was you saw will not be good for your kits," Katie ordered calmly. The queen nodded and shakily, with the help of Melissa, moved away from the barn door.

When she nudged open the door, Briarlight gagged instinctively. The smell of decay and blood was repulsive to her nose. But Katie didn't even dodge away, instead quickly disappearing into the barn. Maple, SJ, and Briarlight were hot on her heels.

Briarlight faltered as she saw groups of barn cats off to the side, many of which had the faces of true terror or in a state of shock. The stench was stronger, hovering over them like a huge badger.

And yet Briarlight could feel the temperature drop as she drew near the four bloody, misshapen corpses.

"Dear StarClan…" She breathed in disbelief. "What's happening to us?"

* * *

**Yep…another killing. But this time, it was four at once! X3 **

**Unfortunately, there is no Interesting Fact Time this chapter ;;n;; I'm sorry! I really tried to find something that I didn't know about cats and… -shrugs- I'm sorry. Many of the things I found were things that were kinda obvious and didn't have to be explained thoroughly by me XD**

**So, in turn, I ask you all if you have an interesting thing that you want me to look up on cats! If so, review your ask and I'll answer it in the next chapter :)**

**Until next time~ **


	19. Chapter 17

**My god…I'm gonna be FLOORED with stuff to do this entire week and weekend. It's also the reason why I didn't upload two days ago –n—; Man, this gets hard. **

**Also, I'm curious as to why no one else reads my story ;;n;; What am I doing wrong? XD;**

**Anyways, Hope you enjoy! Review if you have comments, questions, etc.**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

"What's happening to this barn? What's happening to these cats?" Briarlight whispered loud enough only for herself to hear it. Katie pushed her way towards the corpses. Only then did a look of pure disgust wash over her features.

"Dear Meadow..." She gasped, as Maple and SJ walked away, both unable to view the bodies. Katie bowed her head in mourning.

"Katie? Why would any cat kill Van Gogh, Vixie, or an elder like Pastel? Surely they have done nothing wrong to be killed—"

"_None_ of the cats that have be ruthlessly murdered in my eyes have done anything wrong. No one, _solitary_, thing...wrong..." Katie's voice broke as tears filled her eyes. Not knowing what to do, Briarlight gave the she-cat barn leader space to breathe. She walked over to where Maple and SJ were sitting.

Not one of them spoke for a long time, each unable to register any words over the stench of death, the sight of decaying corpses, or the sounds of frightful whispering and angry hissing.

The barn door screeched lightly open, revealing Rover and Zeus walking in. Right behind them were three other cats, two toms and a she-cat. All the cats in the barn turned to face them with looks of concern, fear, and surprise.

"Katie, you seem to have a request from Scar here," Rover growled, looking over his shoulder at the brown tom. If Scar held fear for the old barn cat's glaring, nothing showed in his eyes.

Briarlight eyed the newcomer cat with interest. She had heard of Scar from SJ while she had been in recovery. He, like Katie, was regarded as a very fortunate barn leader, his title only showing more of his generous honesty, fearless statue and strength towards his friends and family. _'All the more to show off in killing if so,'_ The warrior though absently.

"Why do you think Scar is here, big sis?" Maple asked quietly.

"Probably because that fourth cat is one of his members," SJ explained both to Briarlight and her sister, "If anything, that fourth cat is a newer cat that, sadly, turned up on the wrong side of subjects."

Briarlight couldn't help but stare at the four dead cats. Something about them was causing her mind to toss and turn inside her head. Van Gogh and Vixie were both fairly young, only a season or two older than her. Rafael had been in-between, more likely to have been five seasons old. And the third cat, Scar's cat, was around her age too. _'But that still doesn't go for Pastel! She was about nine or ten seasons old. Maybe even older than that. This killer is trying to mess up our minds; he isn't holding a perfect pattern to this. Unless...'_

"Um, Briar?" Maple broke the she-cat from her trance by tapping her on the shoulder, "You seemed to have caught everyone's attention."

Sure enough, most of the barn cats were now eyeing her, and not in a good way. She wanted to hide behind Maple much larger frame, but all she did was bow her head instead.

"Tell me, pet," Rover curtly growled, "why have you come back? Things were going so much quieter with you not here."

Having enough of her cowering, Briarlight glared back. "I had requested to come back. I want to catch this serial monster just as much as everyone here. So why don't you back off on the insults, old tom." She hissed lowly.

Clearly she spoke up louder than expected, for many of the barn cats gasped in horror again. Katie, Scar, and the other two cats looked at the two of them.

Rover snarled and pushed Briarlight down onto her back roughly, knocking the air out of her own lungs. She struggled as his long claws unsheathed, digging past her fur and into her skin. "And how do we not know that during your so-called recovery, that it was you killing these cats? No one ever said that this was all one cat's doing!" Rover bit out.

Maple suddenly pushed him off, her strength causing him to be lifted into the air. Fortunately, he landed on all four, turning to glare coldly as she helped Briarlight up to her feet. She kindly pushed her away and faced the ragged tom. "Why would I even kill cats I don't even know all that well?! Much less in such cold blood? You can't toss the blame on me constantly when you don't even have proof!"

"Really? How can we trust you, outsider? You've never been part of this barn in the first place. A wild cat is all you are. Dangerous, untrustworthy , and fearful. You always keep disappearing from here. Your 'recovery' is nothing more than a sham! You crallin' about before could've been just a set up. No cat survives without their hind legs."

As Rover spoke, Briarlight saw some barn cats nodding and muttering in agreement. Her stomach dropped, not believing what she was seeing. _'They can't really believe him!'_

"You will cease your nonsense speaking, Rover!" Katie snarled, getting between the tense argument. "Briar has done nothing wrong."

"That just how you would defend any cat that that lives with you as a Collared life!" Rover said. "You can't be a leader to us if you are constantly defending your side family and not here with us!"

"How dare you speak if Katie's rank so lowly, rogue!" Scar snarled, coming up beside her. "She, like Amy, has held a proud memorable position as barn leader. She has done no wrong way with Starpoint Barn, and I know this, as does Topher."

"Except for not solving this murder that is clearly centered around here. This monster will continue to kill more cats. Don't you see? Katie's leadership has something to do with this—!"

Before he could finish, Katie slashed him in the face. He slammed onto the ground, his cheek bleeding. Many of the cats looked away, in short not really surprised by Katie's actions. Everyone except Briarlight, who gaped like a fish as Rover grunted with effort to get up.

"You dare to speak of me so foully it disgusts even the Meadow cats. Let this be a warning of insulting a cat that has earned her way to respect, Rover. Now get out of my sight. I will see you at the burial of our fellow comrades. Again." Katie ordered, not taking her eyes from the tom as he walked off, Zeus following right behind him.

Scar placed his tail on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you have such a disrespectful cat in these barns of us and our brethren," He whispered softly.

"Be that is it may, my friend," Katie said, "I will not uphold this position as barn leader as a curse, like Rover thinks so. Amy would have never taken this so lightly, and neither shall I. I am devoting all my time, as much as I can without worrying everyone, to find this killer."

"But is staying leader the best thing to do while searching? I am most proud of your actions in the past seasons up to now. I'll always be, but you must think for the sake of this barn, my dear."

Briarlight felt hurt as Katie bowed her head. It seemed more and more often than not that everything was being thrown against the black and white barn leader, rather than for her.

"Katie," Briarlight walked up to the two cats, "you mustn't give up. I know that you're so much stronger than this. All of us do. And I know that Amy needs you to be, far more than any of us combined. She..." She paused, debating what to say next.

"She knows that you will bring justice," Scar finished, giving Briarlight a nod in agreement.

Katie looked at the two of them for many heartbeats, until she smiled. "Thanks, you two. You don't know how much your words bring me up now. But we still need to solve this mass problem. And fast, before too many cats are continued to be killed."

"I think I might have a solution, Katie," Briarlight whispered confidently, "but we'll need to talk about it when we get home." It surprised Briarlight how the word 'home' for the nesthold didn't sound alien to her ears.

"I'm afraid I will not be able to make it home, hon. With the killer still out, I've decided to stay here to protect my barn. You and Maple and SJ will have to go home."

"Maybe I can stay and help—"

"No," Katie cut her off curtly, "Maybe Rover is right on you being here. I do not know. Until I do, you will stay in hiding. I don't want anything to happen to you, Briar. Whether Rover realizes this or not, you are now part of this family, and I've sworn to protect my family, small or big, with my life when I devoted myself as barn leader of Starpoint. Now, please, go before Rover gets back."

Rendered speechless, Briarlight stared at the black and white she-cat, hoping that she was just joking. But she wasn't. In silence, Briarlight walked away, not looking back. Maple and SJ, who both had watched the scene unfold from the start, followed Briarlight outside, where the afternoon didn't seem to warm up their pelts after what had been discovered inside.

Briarlight knew she needed to leave before someone saw her out from the barn, but something in the back of her mind held her back. _'Amy and Soul said I needed to help solve this disaster and bring peace back into place; and I'm going to help, for StarClan sake! Whether or not Katie agrees.'_ She thought angrily. Flexing her claws, she turned to face the sisters, only to be surprised to see them smirking.

"You're not going to leave us out this time, girl," Maple said.

"You sure you want to help me? Because I'll stop at nothing to bring this monster down now," Briarlight inquired.

"You and us, Briar. Like we've already told you; we're here for you. No matter what. That's what family does," SJ winked.

She smiled back, happy that she wasn't alone in the same thoughts. But her smile quickly turned to that of a frown. "Tell me, girls, how long have these cats been murdered?" It was an odd question, Briarlight knew, but she had a hunch that it would help in some way.

"Well...I can tell you that it's been happening **way** before we were born, around a little after Amy became official barn leader with Katie, Rover, and Hansel as her first members. If I had to guess," SJ paused, shuddering visibly in the warm wind, "around a total of fifty cats have been murdered since seven seasons ago. Maybe even more with what's been dug up around now."

_'Great StarClan…that's more than I was expecting!' _Briarlight thought in horror.

"Don't you guys think that this killer has some kind of pattern?" Maple asked as they walked down the dirt road together. "I may be watching too much bright screen with Mama, but the killers always have a pattern or formation in all of their plans. One goes for family members. Another is after a friend and taunts their loved ones too. Sometimes they steal someone or something just because they believed that they had formed an 'impenetrable bond'."

Briarlight had heard of the bright screen Maple described. However, she never truly caught interest to it.

"So what? You expect cats to take on a detective role like those good guys do?" SJ said sarcastically.

"Well, not really!" Maple persisted, puffing her cheeks out in a childish manner. "I'm just sayin', if we can figure out some method of this killer, then we'll be farther ahead of the others—"

"And closer to bringing down this monster," Briarlight finished, excitement jumbling about in her belly.

"Exactly!" Maple giggled. She eyed her older sister worriedly, "So, sis, what do you think? You're the usual thinker out of us."

Both she-cats eyed the thinking silver gray tabby with curiosity. At last, SJ nodded. "Okay. So where do we start in the pattern?"

"Well, I was thinking about how many cats he kills in a moon. However, when I think it over, he's killed in uneven patterns," Briarlight said.

"Same goes for the other moons before you arrived here, Briar. With that, however, the patterns do seem to be between two to five kills. This was the worst in one day. The fifty dead cats weren't killed in the exact same location, but they did revolve around being near a barn."

"You just said 'a barn'. You mean that this is going on in other areas, like in Scar's barn?"

"Sadly yes," SJ sighed. "Starpoint Barnyard isn't the only innocent victim here. Scar's home, the Stronghold Ranch, as well as Woolstock Byre has the same ordeals going on. The fifty cats is a total of all the bodies found in Starpoint Barnyard."

"Surely they can't all be barn cats though! That's just way too many, even for such great barn leaders like Katie and Scar," Briarlight questioned.

Maple was silent for a moment. A surprise look came over her. "You know what, Briar? You're right! If I recall carefully, wasn't there a variety of dead Collared and rogue cats that were dropped around the barn, sis?" She looked at her sister eagerly.

"As a matter of fact, yes! Unfortunately, no one suspected it was the same cat at that point. They just thought it was just coincidence that rogue and Collared cats were dying. Many of us suspected that it was because of a beast running over them. Terrible way to die, I'm sure…"

Briarlight shuddered involuntarily. Even though she sat inside of Riley's monster, she didn't trust it—or any other monsters for that matter. They still scared her and the thought of getting rammed by one was enough for even the strongest ThunderClan cat to turn tail. "Could it be true that there is more than just one killer we're talking here?"

"Each time a cat's found a body there have been different scents. All of which, no one even knows a single clue about. None of us are stupid enough to not know another cats' scent when they're from one of the other two barns." SJ pointed out.

"Do you think they could've come from a different town entirely? Or the city?" Briarlight had never even considered venturing into the depths of a No-Collar's "city". They were large—judging by the easy view of some of the towers even at a distance—and smelled worse than being in a town like Riley's. There had been some days that Briarlight could smell the foul stenches wavering off from the city.

"Maybe! Each different scent one does smell pretty bad," Maple said, her voice hitching. "Perhaps we should go to the cities and see if there's something there for us to bring back."

"Yeah? Like what?" SJ scoffed. "We can't bring a cat back without getting either killed, hurt, or empty paws."

"Then we just do it in secret," Briarlight placed in. "We'll go in four sunrises, when the meeting for the barns is in session. We don't want any other cat to know; not even Katie for that matter. If she knows about it, she could forbid us in going."

"I see where you're going, Briar. I like it!" Maple giggled.

When they reached the nesthold, they noticed another monster in the dirt path. It wasn't the one Trent drove.

"Who could be here?" Briarlight chirped. She looked at Maple and SJ, surprised to see their faces scrunched up in disgust. "What's wrong? Do you know who it is?"

The littermates looked at one another and, in unison, said, "Lily."

"Who's Lily?"

"Aunt Lily, and we say no more because that's all there is to say," Maple grumbled rather annoyingly. Rarely did anything annoy or anger the Savannah she-cat.

They walked in through not the entrance of the nesthold, but the porch-way, under both SJ and Maple's requests. As they entered, a deeper feminine tone, one with a sharp edge to it, rang through the nesthold. Briarlight flattened her ears against her head, instantly wanting to leave. But Maple and SJ edged her on, knowing that Riley would surely be worried by now of them being gone most of the afternoon so abruptly.

They walked slowly into the living den, seeing Riley leaned back lazily on the sofa; however, she didn't appear nor give off that she was in the happiest of moods. King and Lucinda slept on each side of her, King eyeing the slim No-Collar across from Riley on the couch chair, while Lucinda seemingly was trying to get some sleep. Briarlight was thoroughly confused as to what the dogs and Riley could possibly be annoyed with.

Just as she thought that, a body slammed into hers, hard. Yowling in pain as her shoulder hit at an awful position on the hardwood flooring, she immediately felt the hot anger of Riley's emotions roll off her in waves. She glanced over in time to watch Riley stand up and shout loudly, _"LILY! You stupid cat, get off of her now!"_

Her demand seemed to work. The boulder weight seemed to lift off of Briarlight's back rather quickly. She looked up to see the other female No-Collar shushing over-lovingly at the ball of fur in her forelegs. Soon, though, it wanted to get down. As soon as the older No-Collar let her down, she whipped around and started bickering with Riley, her alien words clearly sounding annoyed and angry, though not as hot as Riley's from mere seconds ago.

Moving away from the arguing No-Collars, Briarlight took the opportunity to look at the fur ball standing on the arm of the sofa. Clearly a she-cat, her pelt was smoothly groomed black with a pure white belly like Katie's, though this one was far more furry.

Plus, this she-cat was obviously overweight and not full of kits, according to her scent. Noticing Briarlight staring at her with a hint of disgust, the black and white she-cat scoffed, "What's wrong, squirt? Never seen a cat as beautiful as me? Mommy tells me so."

Pushing her own emotions down, Briarlight realized why both littermates had informed '_Aunt Lily_' so repulsively. She was nothing but a show off. Turning to leave, Briarlight gasped as Lily appeared clumsily in front of her abruptly.

"I wasn't finished talking, kit!" She hissed. "I'm worthy enough to talk about."

"Put a rat in it, Aunt Lily," Maple growled up on the couch. "Does it looked like our friend even cares? 'Cause SJ nor I care."

Lily whirled around and puffed up twice than her already fluffy form. "You wanna say that to my face, kit?!" She snarled. "I'll have you know that I'm ten times stronger than you on any day!"

"Only in your dreams of failing to catch a leaf," SJ snickered rudely. Briarlight watched as Lily hunched her shoulders and pounced right onto SJ. Within seconds, SJ was the one on top and successfully beating her aunt up. Never, in all of Briarlight's dreams, would she had seen the day of either one of the littermates be snarky and rude to any cat. But here they were, chasing down their own family member down without hesitation. She jumped when Riley's older female shouted at them, still angry. With a final huff, she whipped around and left the nesthold, slamming the door hard enough for Briarlight to feel the whole place shake lightly.

Riley's face was an awfully red color, scaring Briarlight even more than she was already. She hissed in her alien tongue words Briarlight didn't want to start knowing what they meant. Riley looked at her and her body relaxed, sagging and slumping in exhaustion. She gave the warrior a smile, one that held sympathy. She bent down and rubbed her head for a few short moments, before going after the stampeding cats upstairs. The only thing Briarlight could do was watch her.

_'I hope that annoying she-cat won't be staying for too long...'_ She thought warily. But even so, Briarlight had a feeling that it was going to be a long few sunrises until Lily actually does leave. _'Now I know that she must've been the other cat that Amy didn't like all too much. She's nothing more than what my father said a kittypet was before.'_

The dogs eyed her as she stood. "What?" She bluntly asked.

They simply yawned and proceeded to try sleeping again.

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**Indeed, the plot thickens more. I hope it doesn't sound like you guys are suffocating with all that's going on :( If so, please tell me and I'll edit the next chapter after 18 (cause I'm uploading a duo)**

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**WAAY back before any of us modern people were born, ancient civilizations honored cats and other feline creatures as gods of sorts. The most recognizable places are in Egypt. As a ritual and good terms of honoring their cat god, ancient Egyptian villages would take cats in their juvenile time frame and kill them. Don't be grossed out! They did it in a way that the cat felt no pain upon death, for if that did happen, the villagers feared that their cat gods would curse them for eternity for making their children suffer. After going through the process of cleaning the bodies, saving and drying the proper organs and heart, the villagers would then wrap the cats' bodies up in very efficient wrapping cloths. It was so efficient that it worked on human mummies for centuries, millennium even! Cats were then put into custom made tombstones and placed into a holy location completely preserved for honoring the god cat. Many families went what we would call "hardcore mourning" (I don't like the phrase, but I've heard it enough times unfortunately) When a family cat died in ancient Egypt, family members would mourn by shaving off their eyebrows. They also held elaborate funerals during which they drank wine and beat their breasts. The cat was embalmed with a sculpted wooden mask and the tiny mummy was placed in the family tomb or in a pet cemetery with tiny mummies of mice. Cats held a very inspiring role in history and legends outside the Egyptian world too. The oldest mummified cat to this date was almost ten THOUSAND years old! And it wasn't in Egypt, like many would presume. It was actually in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This grave predates early Egyptian art depicting cats by 4,000 years or more.**

**Wrapping it up, cats held a both very high role in society by going as far as being honored as gods…and both a very low point. But that will be discussed in the next chapter! ;)**

**Hope you liked the chapter and IFT! Until next time~**


	20. Chapter 18

**Hope you enjoy this chapter~! Review if you have comments, questions, etc.**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 18**

To say Lily was staying a few days was a huge understatement, Briarlight found out. Riley, in one of her foul moods, revealed nonchalantly to her that the kittypet—as what Briarlight calls her because she was nothing but lazy—was staying for about half a moon with them.

On the first day, she was ready to kill the she-cat.

Lily, according to pictures shown to the warrior she-cat by Riley, as well as stories from Maple and SJ, was titled as a 'Top Beauty Cat' in several magazines. Briarlight never asked what it meant, but she guessed it was her showing off her impossibly well-groomed fur. And she wasn't fat by any means, Briarlight discovered; she just had more fur on her than all of the ThunderClan cats combined together. But it did leave her hot most of the time, making her cranky and whiny.

Riley seemed to hate Lily through and through whenever the fluffy she-cat sauntered stupidly into a room where she resided in, rubbing everything and not caring if she pushed over valuable to Riley. At one point, on the second day, Lily shattered a very expensive vase Riley painted many seasons ago. Briarlight felt so bad for Riley as she cried, then became very scared as she literally kicked Lily out of the nesthold into the cold garage for the remainder of the day and night.

On the third night, Briarlight was ready to leave the nesthold period and live out in the back woods.

Lily, though a beauty queen she proclaimed to be, was nothing more than a lazy and insufficient cat that suited no one's taste. She got in the way of nearly everything and everyone, starting fights with Briarlight and the littermates on nothing. She couldn't even fight correctly, yet stated selfishly that she was the strongest of them all and that she was just warming them up.

Briarlight thought otherwise.

_'That cat couldn't even catch a fly if it landed right on her nose!'_ Briarlight thought sourly as she flexed her shoulders a little. The squirrel ten paws from her dug viciously at the ground for nuts and berries. As it did so, the ground shook under Briarlight's senses. By now, she had used her powers mainly for catching prey, but nothing more. Her speed was exercised daily, but she still felt something was holding her back.

Shaking her head a little, Briarlight wiggled her rump and pounced from her hiding spot and landed atop of the squirrel, feeling its neck snap under pressure of the impact.

Briarlight picked up her freshkill and buried it with the other three she had caught, underneath a large tree she had grown fond of going to when she was in stress. Things at the nesthold sometimes got too much for all three of the she-cat residences, thus they would leave for longer periods of time. Riley, being the herbal-shaman she was, worked constantly, coming home at later hours in the night and have enough energy to play with the dogs—whom secretly knew how to get out on their own—before collapsing on her bed.

Which led to no protection inside the nesthold when Lily was stupidly forcing them to fight with her.

Rolling her eyes at the memory, Briarlight turned her attention back onto searching for more prey. Though night was up over her head with Silverpelt glistening softly, the she-cat warrior wanted to further her skills back into hunting and scouting. Every night for the past six sunrises—due to Lily, Briarlight had to delay their departure to the city— Briarlight snuck out of the house and meditated, hunted, scouted the area, or ran for excessive periods of time. She never admitted to the she-cats, but she actually missed the barn. She had never been further introduced into their ways of life, so Briarlight could only dream of what life was like for them.

Sniffing out a vulnerable mouse, Briarlight closed her eyes. Every time she did so, she felt her sense of touch heighten to measures that she could pinpoint exactly where her prey—or predator—was located. She dropped back into her low crouch, smiling as she silently stalked towards her prey. When she was fifteen paws from it, she stopped, slowing her breathing and concentrating on when the mouse would become most vulnerable.

Suddenly, the ground shook like an earthshake underneath her paws, scaring Briarlight from her position. The mouse saw her, but scurried away from a completely different being. Briarlight yelped when a large fur ball landed clumsily where the mouse once sat.

Briarlight flattened her ears and hissed. "You fox dung! I could've easily captured that mouse!" She said to Lily. The she-cat shook out her pelt, licked a delicate white paw.

"Hmph! I could've easily captured that mouse too. But you caused it to run off!" She said selfishly.

Briarlight felt the hot anger burst from her. "ME?! It was all _**you**_ that caused it to run off!" She countered, somehow managing not to kill the annoying kittypet.

Lily ignored her and sauntered her way out of Briarlight's sight. The warrior groaned in frustration and swiped at the ground with her claws, not caring that it didn't dwindle her hatred for the she-cat. Sighing, she gave up hunting for the night and walked back to where she buried her other freshkill.

As she dug them all up, Briarlight felt the tremors again, however they were far enough away to be mere faints of shakes. She brushed it off, thinking it was Lily. Grabbing the three freshkill in her jaws, Briarlight began her way back to the nesthold.

However, when she broke through the bushes, she saw Lucinda and King barking loudly inside the kitchen. And they didn't sound like happy barks. Dropping her prey, Briarlight raced to the nesthold, flying up and over the steps and skidding inside the animal door.

"What's wrong, you two?!" She cried out, gasping as they nearly trampled over her. Briarlight knew something was terribly wrong.

Looking up at the door, Briarlight realized why they couldn't get outside. For one, Lucinda's belly was impeccably larger than normal, proving that she was with pups. That caused her not to be able to crawl out of the animal door without hurting herself.

The second reason was that Riley had smartly locked the kitchen door leading out to the porch. Since they didn't have the foreclaws like a No-Collar, the dogs and her wouldn't be able to unlock it. She jumped in front of King and saw that his claws were bleeding slightly. Up above her, the lock was stained with the blood of King's paws.

"King, stop! You're hurting yourself!" She tried to say, but the words were swallowed up in their frantic barking. Yowling in fright, Briarlight dodged Lucinda's paws and jumped onto the window ledge, trying to think of a way to let them out before they severely hurt themselves.

Backing up till her rear hit the window, Briarlight yowl in surprise as she nearly fell backwards onto the porch. Grabbing herself, she smiled as an idea popped into her head. Using her back feet, the warrior kicked hard against the window, not stopping until she had it open enough for both her and the dogs to squeeze through.

**"King! Lucinda!" **Though she didn't know their language well enough to translate like the others could, Briarlight was taught by Maple to say their names in their tongue.

It worked. Both dogs saw the opening and, without hesitation after she jumped out down on the porch, jumped through. King immediately bolted in the direction of the forest, while Lucinda broke away and ran off onto the dirt path. Briarlight called out to her, but her words seemingly bounced off the dog's determination.

Unable to stand there, Briarlight turned and ran as fast as she could after King, straight into the heart of the woods. She zigzagged around tree trunks, nearly tripping over two larges roots, trying desperately to catch up with King. She could feel his massive tremors fading off slowly from her grasp, causing the warrior to push herself harder and faster.

Briarlight managed to keep herself upright when the ground gave a loud boom; someone had fallen over. Folding her ears back, Briarlight sucked in a large breath and pushed herself into a long jump through a large bush. She didn't even shake out the leaves before the bone-chilling screeches washed over her hearing.

Lily was struggling to keep up a fight that was helplessly being lost by five shadow forms. Her fur didn't hold up to their razor, thorn-like claws digging deep into her body. King appeared out of nowhere, snarling and drooling from the mouth. The shadows—their shapes suddenly feline—dodged away from King as he came after them.

"Lily!" Briarlight finally yowled, running to her side. The older she-cat was gasping for breath, her neck bleeding slowly but not stopping. The white parts of her body, including her legs, were all ugly stained with her blood.

The anger was back, but it wasn't towards Lily; it was at her attempting killers.

Briarlight yowled loudly, her voice echoing through the canopies of the forest as she charged at the nearest shadow cat. The night secluded their forms from any attempts to see them clearly. But that didn't matter now.

She went straight for her opponent's face, slashing in an downward motion. He moved fast, but not fast enough to get a clean hit. She brought her head to him, the impact making her skull throb in protest as she got him under the chin. Hissing, he jumped away, shaking his head in dizziness. She took the opening and raked her claws deeply at his stomach. Her ears roared as he yowled in pain, rolling onto his side as life ebbed away from him.

A wail came from behind her. Briarlight turned in time to see the other four cats had three more members; all of which were on King or slashing at him. Blood coated his once beautiful white coat.

**"King!"** She snarled, moving in to help him. But then something landed on her, slamming her into the soil and knocking the wind out of her lungs. Gasping and hissing, she pushed against the weight, turning till she was on her left side in order to bite down at the intruder's leg. A masculine hiss, raspy and angry, was her answer with a slash to her face.

Briarlight groaned in pain, seeing black dots in her line of vision as she and the male enemy fought in a fit of claws, fur and teeth. She pushed away from him and struggled to get on her feet, the strength she had what seemed like seconds ago now vanishing fast from her. Briarlight heard him chuckle and felt a certain twinge in her stomach.

_'I…I know that voice! But where?'_ She didn't have time to think any longer as he pounced. Remembering Katie's many words of wisdom, Briarlight relaxed her body and dove straight under the tom's belly, jumping back onto her paws a heartbeat later. The tom landed hard where she had stood, but his falter wasn't avoided as two more cats came after Briarlight. She stood in front of Lily, praying to StarClan that she would be okay.

The duo crashed into her head on, but she used their weight—like Maple had taught her—to move with the flow of their energy and throw them away from her. Briarlight gasped for breath at the action, still trying to stay conscious. She swayed hard on her footing, cringing as she heard King's howling.

Unable to stand any longer, Briarlight collapsed next to Lily's form, just as she heard the sound of a fire-stick exploding loudly in the air. The noise deafened her, making everything muffled. She struggled to keep her eyes opened, though when she did, a blinding light, following by screaming of what sounded like Riley. Briarlight craned her bloody body to see the shadow cats disappearing in the bushes.

With a sigh, Briarlight fell into the claws of darkness.

.

.

Viola groaned as she awoke from her sleep. The night was young, yet she wasn't. Her aging bones cracked under the issue of her being so heavily pregnant. Hansel advised her that she rest from her scouting duties. She was overdue; way past overdue. The cats who specialized as a hobby in herbs told her that she would have to be prepared for anything nowadays.

One thing that she still couldn't be prepared for was the killings. None had happened ever since Briarlight had vanished from the barn, which terrified her to the depths of her heart. The wild she-cat held no reason to kill off so many loved and brave cats of the three barns, yet with the confusion and fear still implanted in Starpoint Barnyard, Stronghold Ranch, and Woolstock Byre, no one could tell who was on the good side or bad side.

Viola gasped silently in pain as a kick hit her in her belly. _'Oh little ones, please don't think of giving your mother more pain,'_ She thought inwardly. Looking at her loving mate, she smiled to herself. How she ever dodge love for so long was beyond her. Hansel was everything she needed; and she knew just that he would be the perfect father for their kits too. Sure he had admitted openly to her that he had two other mates before her, but she had a gut feeling that he would stay with her because of their love.

Unable to fall back asleep, Viola slowly got up from Hansel's body and wobbled out of the haystack on the ground floor. The night was warming up, causing little annoying pesticide insects to fly around her head. _'I need to get out of here and breathe some fresh air.'_

She was terrified at the thought of leaving the barn without a supervisor. Viola knew the consequences of it. But she believed also that she could fend for herself and her kits. She stumbled out of the barn and headed in the direction of the nearby bushes. She sighed, feeling the ticklish leaves brush up against her beautiful white pelt. Stuck up for only five days caused her to get antsy, something she hated feeling.

And at Starpoint Barnyard, nobody was antsy unless forced to stay inside for long periods of time against their wills.

Viola spotted a small puddle of fresh water nearby. Dipping down, she began licking at the cool refreshment. Suddenly, she choked on her breathing, wincing at the unbearable pain that burst from her belly.

_ 'Oh no! Kits, why do you have to come into this world now?!'_ Her mind screamed. She cried out in pain as the contractions started up. Breathing deeply, she forced herself to stand up and start back to the barn.

Then two figures in the shadows surrounded her. Both of them chuckling sinisterly.

Unable to do anything, Viola screamed.

Though her voice would not be heard that night.

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**Whooo….-shudders- Even I got chills from making this part. It felt like the Haunting almost XD But…it has to be done.**

**Interesting Fact Time!**

**As previously mentioned in Chapter 17's IFT, many cats were honored in a holy way by many cultures, especially the Egyptians. But, to others in the past histories, cats were actually considered bad. You probably know the phrase of a black cat being considered bad luck in several countries. While others consider them good luck. It's kinda like with the Raven or Crow; some cultures and beliefs view them as bad luck, while others good luck. During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII condemned cats as evil and thousands of cats were burned. Unfortunately, the widespread killing of cats led to an explosion of the rat population, which exacerbated the effects of the Black Death. Had those cats not been killed, the Black Death probably wouldn't have been as deadly as it had been. Another one is during the Middle Ages, cats were believed to be associated with witchcraft, and on St. John's Day, people all over Europe would stuff them into sacks and toss the cats into bonfires. On holy days, people celebrated by tossing cats from church towers. Yeah…they actually did that. Then again, everyone freaked over the mythical excuse of witchcraft during that period of time.** **Spanish-Jewish folklore recounts that Adam's first wife, Lilith, became a black vampire cat, sucking the blood from sleeping babies. This may be the root of the superstition that a cat will smother a sleeping baby or suck out the child's breath. Which is really not true. It's because of all the dander and shedding a cat does that gets inhaled through a baby's mouth/nose.**

**Wrapping it up, there were still places in ancient times that believed of how bad cats were, a curse even.**

**Hope you liked the chapter and IFT! Comment on how you liked the chapter or IFT! **

**Until next time~**


	21. Chapter 19

**Another chapter for my readers! I also have to give a very happy shout out **_**'thank-you!'**_** to Invisia! Thank you so much for your words of inspiration; they are in my heart and I appreciate that you and many others like the story's plot so far. :) **

**Hope you like it! Review if you have comments, questions, etc.**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 19**

She couldn't move. She tried to, but her muscles—her whole body—would not obey her. Her mind did work, though it was incredibly difficult to even think through the thick mud-like fog heavily weighing itself inside her consciousness.

Her chest was moving up and down, though she wasn't breathing on her own. It felt like she had forgotten to breath altogether. _'Am…am I…dea…dead?'_ She thought exhaustedly. Again, her chest moved up and down, but it didn't hurt; unlike the rest of her, which was falling out of the numb but empty euphoria into a slow awakening of indescribable pain.

She couldn't suck in her own breathing if she tried to; something was blocking her throat. But it wasn't suffocating her—her chest moved forcefully by the object.

Her mind was growing hazy again, the darkness pulling her back into that same black hole she was trapped in before. It was quiet, empty, almost peaceful in some unknown way;

And it all terrified her to no end.

With nothing else to think of, her mind shut off, the only thing giving her some unusual comfort was the feel of her chest moving.

Up. Down. Up. Down. In. Out. In. Out.

.

.

Something was nudging her. It hurt, but she couldn't wake up still. Her eyes felt as if they were sewn shut by cobwebs.

_"I know you can hear me, kit."_ The voice was muffled badly, enough that she couldn't tell if it was a No-Collar, or cat of tom or she-cat. Unable to do anything, she just resided in the pitch darkness, hearing the voice coming from all around her.

_"You mustn't give up yet. Remember who you are, or else you will too fall into the pits of Nothingness upon death."_

Was she dead? But she vaguely remembered her chest moving on its own.

_"You may think you are alive, but you are locked. By locked, I mean that you are one pawstep away from dying. The time isn't right; it hasn't been since…since…"_ The voice paused, as if the creature was…in pain?

_"Please…I'm begging you now, you must stay alive. You are a brave warrior; you must live in order to fufill your destiny. Your fate is chosen not by anyone else but yourself. You are _your _own fate." _

Her throat must've obeyed her finally, because she felt herself croak, "Who…who am I?"

_"Remember…Remember, my little briar flower…"_

_Briar…Briar…flower…the light in which flows through me…_

"I am…I am…Briarlight?"

Suddenly, memories flooded back into her, overwhelming her senses to no end. Even with her eyes closed and there only being darkness, her head throbbed like the motor of a monster.

A tom looked over at her, his eyes a blue so pale and bright, she thought he was blind. But he had a far off look on his scorn-filled face, almost as if whatever he saw was in his mind.

Then she realized that he _was _blind.

Herbs were clumped in his jaws, making him resemble that of a chipmunk. He turned fully in her direction, coming closer till he was directly above her. Then she heard a voice.

"Thank you, Jayfeather!"

It was close, much closer than she was expecting it to be. It was herself speaking to him, the tom; the one she had called Jayfeather.

More and more memories flooded back, and finally she recalled a fight she fought. One that she had passed out from the pain and blood loss. The pain came back to her, making her want to cry out, but she couldn't find her voice to do so.

_"Now do you remember?"_ The voice was back, no longer alien to her ears.

Her voice came back, raspy and weak. "Amy...where do I go now? Where?"

"_You were right before, about going to the city. I have sensed…terrible things there. Things that make me cower and run away."_ Amy whispered closely.

Briarlight wanted to ask why, but she decided against it. "I'll go there. But I need to wake up first."

_"Then let me help this time. It's…you deserve so much more gratitude for what you're doing…I'm sorry."_

Briarlight felt something heavy touch her forehead. Light exploded behind her eyes, making her head throb even more. But then she felt her muscles move and contract, listening to her as she tried moving. Though her head swam in dizziness, Briarlight was moving closer and closer to the light, even if it felt like she hadn't moved from her spot.

_**"Awaken, my little kit."**_ Amy's voice echoed the air, holding an usually motherly tone.

.

.

Briarlight gasped sharply, which she wanted to take back when she started choking. Something beeped at a high pitch, its ringing hurting her ears. Heavy footsteps became closer, before Briarlight saw someone hovering over her. The beeping stopped as the person began bringing something out of Briarlight's throat, making her gag reflexively.

_"Shh…it's okay, honey. I've got you, Briar."_ The person spoke, her feminine voice clicking something in her head.

"R…Riley?" Briarlight whimpered, blinking rapidly so that the blurriness in her sight would fade away. Sure enough, Riley was standing over her, her own eyes brimming with tears.

_"Oh, Briar, thank goodness. You woke up."_ She choked out, backing away with her forepaw against her mouth. The tears fell on their own, her voice becoming sobs.

Briarlight started getting up, grimacing at the stiffness of her body. She looked at her belly and saw that her wounds were all stitch up. She must've been out for quite a while, for she could see them starting to scar up.

"B…Briar? Is that you?"

Briarlight looked up to see Katie standing a few pawsteps from the open cage. Her golden eyes were wide, tears also brimming the edges. She shakily stepped forward towards the older she-cat, but she nearly collapsed at her body still half-asleep. Luckily, Katie raced forward, allowing Briarlight to place some of her own weight against the barn leader. Katie sighed heavily, though it was ragged.

"Thank the Meadow ancestors you're okay!" She whispered softly, rubbing her own head against Briarlight's shoulder in comfort. The warrior purred in reassurance.

"I'm glad too…" She said back. Her eyes snapped open in realization, and she backed away, forcing herself to stand straight. "Are…are the others okay? Where's King? And Lily? Did Maple and SJ—"

"Slow down, love!" Katie ordered. Briarlight did so. "To answer all of your questions; yes, King and Lily are okay. King had the least damage done to him, considering he is the biggest of us all. But Lily…" She trailed off.

"What happened to her, Katie? Tell me." Briarlight couldn't stop herself from ordering Katie around like that. But she had to know.

"Lily…she woke up from her coma two days ago, but she is unable to walk properly again. Her left hindleg was so badly infected and damage by those invaders, that Riley had to put hours of extensive surgery into making sure that her left hindleg would not be amputated. It was a success, but the damage has been dealt that the consequences have been revealed. She will have a limp on her for the remainder of her life. Though that probably will not stop her." Katie chuckled softly.

Briarlight couldn't help but laugh too. When the room became silent again, she took in a breath. "Is…Is it alright if I see her? I was pretty rude to her before all this happened."

Katie nodded with a smile. "Of course. In fact, she has been really worried for you. You did save her after all, with King by your side."

Riley watched the two cats converse in their tongue and she walked out of the room, having a feeling that Briarlight wouldn't stay in her cage even if she tried to. She waited outside of the surgery room and watched the two work together to limp their way out to the living room. She couldn't help but smile at the strength of the wild cat.

When they reached the living room, Briarlight saw King lying on the sofa with Lucinda by his side, licking his face lovingly. They were perfect for each other as mates. Lily was on a cat bed, resting in an awkward position. Her black and white head snapped up when she noticed them in the room.

"Briar! You're okay!" She gasped, jumping down clumsily from the cat bed on the sofa and limped over to her. Briarlight saw that the tissue and muscle around her left hindleg were thinner than normal, and a bandage was covered over the naked skin. Lily rubbed affectionately Briarlight's shoulder, giggling in relief. "You were out for quite some time."

"How long was I out?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Almost for a whole week!" Lily said exaggeratedly. "You were pretty beat up. Luckily, Riley knows what she was doing, and you were done with surgery and only a few scar implants will be shown in the future." She paused and bowed her head.

"I'm…I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Briarlight. I didn't mean to have it come out this way." Lily apologized.

"I should be sorry too, Lily. If I hadn't left you in the forest that night, you wouldn't have lost your ability to walk right. You may be a pain in the neck most of the time, but you shouldn't have received such a low punishment like that ambush." Briarlight said sincerely.

"I forgive you, kit. You know, you're not as weak as I interpreted. I was the one that is weak then. Without my claws, it's tough to survive a battle, especially when you don't know how to fight right with your hindclaws." Lily laughed.

Briarlight glanced over at Katie, noticing the proudness gleaming in her predatory eyes. "Well played, little sis. Perhaps now you will behave better in the nesthold too."

A thought occurred to Briarlight. "Oh! Where are SJ and Maple right now? I need to talk to them."

"They went out hunting to relieve the stress and sadness of you being hurt. They were the ones that were hit pretty hard, no pun intended though, dear."

"May I go and find them?"

Katie looked serious again. "I wouldn't leave this nesthold if I were you, Briarlight. Not just because of the ambush incident."

"Then why?"

Lily and Katie looked at one another, but it was—surprisingly enough—Lily who spoke next. "Another cat was killed right after our ambush, Briar. And it wasn't just any cat; it was Viola."

The world seemed to come to a screeching halt. Briarlight did a double take mentally and physically. She looked at the two older she-cats, hoping that they were just joking around.

But they weren't.

Briarlight felt herself collapse onto her rump heavily, ignoring the pain that shot up from her stomach thanks to the stitching. She looked down at her paws, watching as her tears fell from her eyes and dripped onto them. "H-How…I…I…"

"None of this is your fault, Briarlight!" Katie said sternly, using her tail to bring the warrior's face back up to meet hers. "Viola…she…she left the barn on her own. Her scent possessed no fear in it when she did. She must've left to get some fresh air and a drink. Hansel…he was the first to find her body."

Now it became harder to breathe. _'Dear StarClan…why did it have to happen this way? No male should see his mate, whom was filled with their kits, dead. NO! He should've never been the first cat to discover her dead!_' Then a cold feeling washed harder over her.

"The kits…where are they? Were they dead too?"

Katie backed away, shaking her head. "Viola was attacked just as she was in labor. We smelt the blood of her birthing. Somehow, she managed to fight off the enemies for a short period. But…we have belief that another cat was there to protect her. We could smell it thickly in those bushes. However, despite that, we still found two kits dead."

"Katie! You're missing out a very important key piece in this puzzle!" Lily snapped annoyingly. She then directed her attention to Briarlight. "The kits weren't killed by the intruders; they were already dead when they were born. And there was far more blood than for just two kits. There were more; and they're missing to this day."

Briarlight shut her eyes tightly, feeling the storm of anger roll through her. Unbeknownst to her, her claws came out and dug deep into the carpet. _'Whoever this monster is, they now have it coming for them! Viola's death will be justified._' She vouched to herself.

"Briar?" Lily's voice interrupted her inner rage.

"I have to go. I need to find—"

"Katie! Katie!"

_'Speak of one devil.' _Maple's form skidding to an uneasy halt, her breath slightly off. She looked down to see Briarlight standing up on her own, eyeing her intently. Gasping happily, she tackled the warrior she-cat before she had time to move away. "**Briar!** You're okay! Oh, thank the Meadow ancestors that you're up and going! It's been so quiet and not fun without you awake—"

"Maple!" Briarlight laughed loudly, pushing the younger Savannah cat away from her. "You came to tell Katie something."

"Oh yeah!" Her voice turned back to worry. "It's SJ. She found a body not too far from here; in the back forest no less! She told me that she was barely breathing when she dug her up from the ground."

"The ground?!" Lily exclaimed. "You mean—"

"There's no time to explain this at all, Aunt Lily!" Maple interrupted, though her face proved so that she didn't like doing it. She turned back to Katie. "Katie, we need to leave. Now."

"I'm coming with." Both Briarlight and Lily said together. They went to follow the two cats, but both pushed them back, shaking their heads in disapproval.

"No, you're both not," Katie growled. "Briarlight, you _just_ woke up from a week long coma. You still have your stitches in place and you using your power to run fast isn't going to help; in fact it will for certain make it worse. And as the leader of this household, you are to not leave this place under any circumstances unless I deem them worthy enough for your safety. And you," She glared at her sister, however her gaze softened in motherly concern. "you are in the same ordeal, except I cannot debate who's worse. Your leg may be near full recovery thanks to Mama's abilities, but you still can't fight for yourself. Now stay."

With a whip of her tail, both Maple and her vanished out the cat door in the kitchen. Inside, Briarlight was screaming to object, but it would prove pointless to yell out at nothing.

The sound of fading footsteps caused her to turn her head. She gasped at Lily moving towards the kitchen cat door. Staggering slightly, the warrior got in front of her. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing?! Didn't you just hear Katie? She wants—"

"I know what she wants, kit!" Lily hissed back. "But that doesn't mean it's the right need."

"Can't you listen to someone other than yourself for once in your life?" Briarlight objected harshly.

"I have and I know when to, and now isn't the time to lollygag around! I'm leaving!" Lily tried to push past Briarlight, but the younger, stronger and smarter of the two pushed her back.

"I won't let you leave, Lily! I can't see you die in front of me. If you went out there, there is a chance that you could get killed and I won't be able to protect you with my conditions. Please just…just stay here until they come back. Then you and I will go out with Maple, SJ, and Katie too."

Lily shook her head. "Kaite won't be here tonight, Briar. She is attending another meeting with the other barns. She has to guide her cats there safely; Scar is meeting up with her along the way. But…I guess you're right when it comes to both of our safety now. I'm sorry for my irrational behavior. It always gets me into trouble."

_'Then maybe you should learn how to cope with it and try thinking smarter.'_ Was what Briarlight wanted to sneer at her, but she decided letting the older she-cat mull over her decision would be bad enough.

With guidance, Briarlight jumped up onto the sofa, sitting in-between the two big dogs. They both gave her licks of comfort as she placed her head down on King's giant paw. She sighed, suddenly wishing that she was back in the black void, where the tension of life wasn't able to intervene with her.

Half an hour passed, and all that time, Lily couldn't sit still so she paced till Briarlight was afraid that the carpet would form a indent from the older she-cat. King's head, which was resided next to Briarlight's form, snapped upright, his nose nosily flaring as he smelled the air. Disappointingly, Briarlight knew that the white German Shepherd had a stronger nose than hers. His barking was what got her alert, noting how urgent it sounded. Lucinda then joined in, but was the first one to jump off and vanish up the stairs. All that time she didn't stop barking loudly.

Briarlight jumped off the sofa and raced to the kitchen, King and Lily beside her. Behind them, Riley's thundering footsteps cascaded down the stairs and ran into the kitchen to see them standing anxiously at the door.

_"What's wrong guys? It's almost noon, so no intruders—" _Before she could finish her sentence while opening the door, King and Lucinda were around Maple and SJ, Maple being the one who carried another form—one that wasn't moving—into the house. Briarlight heard Riley gasp in horror and instantly her body was filled with mixed concern.

"Mama! You have to help her! Please hurry!" Maple yowled loudly, even if they knew Riley didn't understand their language. However, Riley didn't need to be told anything as she—with impossibly careful hands—picked up the feline form from Maple's back.

_"Good work, girls. Now stay."_ Riley muttered, turning back around and headed into the surgery room. Maple was greeted with showers of sloppy kissed by King and Lucinda, causing her to smile and speak dog tongue to them, failing in attempt to calm them down.

"SJ, where's Katie?" Lily said, worry filling her voice.

"Right here, sis." Katie came around the corner and entered the kitchen calmly. Briarlight could tell, however, that she was still recovering from internal shock. Lily was instantly on her, questioning her yet rubbing her in comfort.

_'What an odd she-cat.'_ She thought with a smile. Briarlight rubbed her cheek on SJ's shoulder, feeling the Oriental mix lick her head in reassurance. Lily and Katie sprinted upstairs into Riley's room.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, moving the two littermates into the porch.

"That cat you just saw Mama take," Maple started "she was completely buried underground when I first found her. I was hunting, and I tripped upon this large lump in the ground. Thank the Meadow ancestors she was still breathing when I got her nose and parts of her head above ground again."

"Did she tell you her name? Or anything to you at all?" Briarlight continued to ask.

"Sadly, she was out cold by the time we dug her completely out, Briar." SJ sighed. "Our only concern was getting her here and to Riley. However…I do remember her saying something about other cats…mumbling about kittens…"

"That's weird…" Briarlight mumbled, racking her brain to figure out what the black and white she-cat could've meant. "Did you guys notice anything else before you left the place?"

SJ and Maple were quiet, both of them eyeing her suspiciously. Then SJ spoke. "Briarlight, you just woke up. Perhaps you should take it easy for a while—"

"I can't SJ!" Briarlight snapped, surprising the sisters. "I can't just sit around and let myself be tormented with whatever is going out there that I can't help bring to a right point! I'm tired of sitting and watching helplessly and clueless as other cats, regardless if I know them well or not, die like fleas! I'm a warrior, and warriors don't just let others die off for such a long time." It all came out at once, leaving her panting and somehow relieved she finally got it out of her system.

SJ's eyes were the size of an owl's, while Maple was shaking a little. Briarlight breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, getting and started for the porch steps. "And if you two don't want to assist me, then so be it."

"Now hold on there, girl!" Maple's giant form took two strides and was instantly in front of her. "Whoever told you that we weren't in this with you?" As she said it, a bright smile came over her face.

"She's right, Briar," SJ injected into the conversation, placing her elegant tail on the brown she-cat's shoulder. "We're sorry that our words came out the wrong way. We'll help you in anything. You should've told us point blank before."

"I thought I was." Briarlight mumbled, resulting in them laughing.

"But can you at least take a nap, Briarlight? You can't help but admit that you are a little sore, no?" Maple nudged.

Briarlight cursed the Savannah cat's keen sight. Sure enough, her eyes were starting to drop a little. Heaving a defeated sigh, the warrior she-cat and the littermates moved up onto the hammock on the porch. Curling up in the hypnotic rocking, Briarlight didn't hold back in falling back into the blissful darkness.

* * *

**There you have it~ :) Another chapter in the bag! :D**

**Interesting Fact Time! **

**Cats have five toes on each forepaw, while having just four toes on their hindpaws. However, there is an exception to this; it's called being polydactyl. This means that a cat has extra toes on its paws. There is quite a higher rate of polydactyl cats in the US, specifically in Boston, Massachusett, which has led many of the citizens to nicknaming 8-toed cats as "Boston Thumb Cats" They usually inherit this trait through genetics. A cat without being poly has 18 toes. However, according to the Guinness World Records, Tiger, a Canadian polydactyl cat, has been recorded to have the most toes of any cat; 27 of those little toes! OMG! **

**Though this is short, and this being it's wrap up, a polydactyl cat has more than just 18 toes on its body. It's a trait only obtained through breeding/genetics. **

**Hope you liked the chapter and IFT! Comment on how you liked the chapter or IFT! **

**Until next time~**


	22. Chapter 20

**This chapter is another twist! I hope there aren't too many of these in here. I'm trying to keep the story alive and have interesting turns to it.**

**Hope you like it! Review if you have comments, questions, etc.**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Jayfeather grunted with effort as he moved out of the medicine den. Sniffing the air, he smiled stiffly as he detected his reunited sister, Hollyleaf, returning back from a hunting patrol. But his smile quickly left his face when he still felt the emptiness come from Millie, Graystripe, and their kits. The newleaf season was warm, and it held much hope in the heavily plump freshkill the warriors continued to bring back.

He was still tired. He could feel it numbing up his legs every day he woke up and did his duties.

And he knew it wasn't from travelling.

Almost two full moons had passed since that horrid day he was told she was gone. He couldn't even bear to think of her name anymore. Every time he did so, his heart would clench so hard, he would have to stop and hide inside the medicine den in his nest. He hated how it made him feel about the situation.

Shaking his head, he headed over to Firestar's den. He could smell out his leader with Sandstorm there as well. "Firestar, I'm here to request permission to gather some herbs." He called out.

"You may do so, Jayfeather. Be careful though," Firestar said, knowing that the young tom would be even if he hadn't mentioned. Jayfeather bowed his head and as he began to leave, Firestar called out to him again, "Are you doing okay, Jayfether?"

How he hated when other's asked that nowadays. He never showed his emotions since that day, and he had kept it like that, up until Hollyleaf came back. Only then, did he feel happiness for just the day. But now it was gone again.

Growling as his mind going sideways, he shrugged to the silent leader. "I'm fine. I've moved on and have to focus on the present." Even as he said it, the words tasted like bile in his mouth, sounding colder than he expected.

Firestar flinched slightly back. "Oh, well…just go easy on yourself. I…I know the feeling."

Jayfeather ignored him as he trotted out of the den and headed out of camp. But, as he started rummaging about for usable herbs, he couldn't help but think over those words. _'What does he mean? He knows how it feels to be lost, not knowing what your feelings are for other are anymore? He'll never know…nobody knows for StarClan sakes! They're not me!'_ His mind raged on, his body seemingly moving on its own to collect more herbs.

As he finished up, Jayfeather grabbed his prizes and carried them back to the medicine den. Once there, he began sorting things out slowly, taking his time. Icecloud was all healed up on the outside, her shoulder back in place and much less swollen from before.

While sorting, his mind started functioning again_. 'Beech leaves for carrying other herbs; check. Borage leaves, for producing milk and bringing down fevers; need more of them once spring comes in. Cobwebs, for healing wounds; replenished now. Horsetail, for infections and stop bleeding; check…'_ He skimmed through all the herbs, rehearsing their usage and on much he could smell was left of each one.

Then his paw and nose together stop at coltsfoot. He lingered there, taking in the smell of what remained of _her_. Abruptly, the small gray tabby tom pulled back, as if his nose had been burned.

Burned by her scent.

_'Stop it! Stop thinking of _her_! She's dead! She's dead! She's…she's…' _Jayfeather couldn't finish his sentence as his shoulders started shaking lightly. The wetness in his blind eyes fell down onto his paws and soil. The more he sat there, the more his heart clenched.

"Jayfeather?" A feminine voice calls out eerily. He bunched up his shoulders, using his tail to rub the tears away from his eyes.

"What do you want, Leafpool?" He barked harshly. His blood mother said nothing, instead walked up beside his shaking form. When her paw touched his, he again flinched away.

"Are you okay? You've been distance from everyone lately." She persisted, oblivious to the sharpness in his voice.

"I'm fine," He bit out again. "Everything is going fine. I'm just busier than usual, that's all."

"You know, you can talk to a cat if you need to, dear." She said calmly.

"I just told you, **I'm fine**! I don't need to talk to any cat about my problems. Now, please, leave me be." He moved away from her, gritting his jaws together to contain his frustration and annoyance. He didn't speak as he heard her move out of the medicine, but not before she released a sad sigh.

Things quickly became out of sorts after that incident. Ivypool was scared of being in the Dark Forest, and had gotten the reassurance from him, Lionblaze, and Dovewing to keep going. Dovewing admitted to him that something was blocking her powers, for she couldn't hear things from far away anymore. The only thing he could tell her was to keep trying.

That night was stiffer than the morning. He couldn't fall asleep, no matter the position, concentration, or medicine he placed on himself. He could hear outside the medicine a night patrol being assigned by Brambleclaw quietly. Idly, he listened as the brown tabby deputy assigned Millie, Dustpelt, Toadstep, and Foxleap as the cats to leave. He didn't push himself to hear their pawsteps fade away into the forest night.

A yawn broke through his mouth. Even so, he still didn't feel tired enough to fall asleep. His blind eyes moved over to the abandoned nest, cold and dead with moss and leaves covering it. Checking for any watchers by smell, Jayfeather moved quietly from his nest to hers.

Collapsing down into it caused some of the dusty leaves to break underneath him. He couldn't stop himself from whiffing in the smells; moss unused for so long, the forest scent of leafbare, and a distinct sweet aroma of wild flowers. He sighed, his form sinking impossibly deeper into the nest.

"Briarlight…" He dared himself to speak her name. For some reason, that helped his mind shut down and pull him into the oblivion darkness.

Opening his eyes, Jayfeather saw that he wasn't in StarClan. Surprised, he looked around, noticing how dark it was outside, as if he was in the ThunderClan forest.

Sniffing the air, he realized that none of the scents around him smelled familiar. _'This can't be the Dark Forest, right?'_ He thought, cautiously scanning his surroundings.

_"Help!"_

A shrill rose into the air, making the fur on his neck stick up like needles. He began frantically searching for the voice, knowing that even though he was just as lost, another cat was in trouble. The forest was filled with natural scents, but they smelt nothing but foreign to his mind.

**"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"** The voice, a feminine shrill, echoed through his ears, making him wince. Other sounds—cats snarling and laughing menacingly—rose up as well. Jayfeather broke through the bushes and gasped at a beautiful, plump white she-cat struggling to fend off three big males, all with their long, spikey claws sticking out of their paws.

The white she-cat wince, half-collapsing onto the ground. He saw her stomach jut out a little. His heart dropped.

She was in labor.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" He snarled loudly, but it seemed that the three intruders couldn't hear him. _'Fox-breath! Why did I have to be sleeping when this is happening?!'_ He thought angrily.

They had to be toms, because they all had the body and desire in their eyes of one. One, a rich black tom with yellow eyes, pounced onto the she-cat, pushing her hard to the ground. She yelped in pain, her belly twitching furiously.

"Please…please! Don't kill me! **Please**!" She pleaded over and over, but her words—like Jayfeather's—were ignored as the black tom dug his claws into her neck slowly.

_"Get off of her!" _Another urgent voice, one that was coming closer, yelled out. Before Jayfeather could registered what happened, the tom had been lifted and thrown off of the white she-cat's form. He landed hard on his legs, stumbling a bit before coming to a stop.

The other two toms were attacked by the attacker, though they were just as confused as he was. Jayfeather could feel the wind shift as the cat moved out of sight, before attacking unexpectedly again. The white she-cat moved away, crawling over to where he stood.

"Come on! This way." He whispered hastily. She looked up at him with wide eyes, almost as if she could see him. Holding down his anxiety, Jayfeather backed away, though not far enough that he wouldn't be able to see her. The fight was still going on, hisses, snarls, and yowls of pain echoing in the closed off forest.

Finally, after getting a couple foxlengths away, the white she-cat couldn't go any farther. She collapsed in a heap, panting loudly. _'Oh no…if she dies, her kits won't survive either!'_ His mind raced, trying to figure out a way to help her. But he couldn't come up with anything.

He heard rustling grow closer to them. Unsheathing his claws, got in front of her pointlessly. _'If I could do something in this body, I'll do it now.'_

However, to his relief, it was their savior. Her chest heaved up and down rapidly, blood coating the white parts of her chest and belly. And yet, she walked over to the white queen like she never got hurt.

"Hey, hey, ma'am. I'm here to help. I heard your call," She muttered softly, licking her face in comfort. "I need you to calm down. If you begin to hyperventilate, your kits won't make it."

Her words of sympathy did the job. The queen slowed her breathing, though it was still labor as another contraction ripped through her. "Are…are they…"

"Shh. Don't use your energy to speak. Only for pushing. They are gone, so you have nothing to worry about," The black and white she-cat smiled, her green eyes glowing in the dim moonlight. She glanced over at the white she-cat's stomach, smiling when it twitched furiously. "You're doing great, ma'am. But you can't hold back any longer or they will die inside of you. Ready? One. Two. _Push_!"

With a wail of pain, she pushed with all her might, feeling her first kit come out of her slowly. She pushed once more and heard a noise behind her. Instinctively, she wanted to lean back and lick her kit to life, but her energy was dwindling fast. Jayfeather felt another chill run up his spine._ 'Her kit will die if she doesn't lick it!'_

Understanding the silent pleading, the black and white she-cat did the job for her, licking with rush, firm strokes. A squeal broke the still air. Jayfeather let out a breath he'd been unconsciously holding. The brown kit, a strong female, was wailing lively now, only quieting when she was pushed over to the white she-cat's belly. He smiled as she started greedily sucking for milk as her second sibling came into the world.

The gray tabby tom watched with batted breath as the two she-cats continued to process through the birthing. When they were done, he couldn't believe his eyes; not one, not two, nor three kits were born—**eight** little forms cuddled against their mother's belly, trying to reach her teats for milk. Two unfortunately had been born dead, so the stranger dug a grave for them both.

"You did such a wonderful job, darling," the black and white she-cat gasped in awe when she turned back to the white she-cat. "We should get you back to the barn now…"

As she spoke, Jayfeather suddenly noticed how slow the white she-cat was breathing. The fear came back tenfold, his stomach clenching painfully. _'Oh no…'_ He couldn't even finish his thought.

The newcomer seemed to notice it, too. Her eyes widen and she nudged the queen. With a hoarse gasp, the white she-cat came back, though it wouldn't be for long.

"Dar…ling…please…tell me your…name…" She said through her shallow breathing. Blood dribbled from her neck wound, slowing though not stopping.

"Clover…my name is Clover. Please, you must stay strong so we can get to the—"

"My time…here…is coming to an end, Clover," The queen interrupted. "I only wish…that I could've…told…my love…Hansel…"

"Please! You mustn't die! Your kits need you…" Clover whimpered.

"I can't…please…take my…kits…to…to…" Her breathing grew still, her side slowly falling still.

"Whom? To whom do I take them to?!" Clover urged, nudging her head to keep her awake another second. "Tell me…please…"

Her voice was so soft and weak, even Jayfeather had to lean in to listen. When he did, his heart froze cold;

"To Briarlight…she'll know…what to…do…"

With one final shudder, the white queen died. Viola had passed away.

Clover stared at the dead queen for what seemed like an eternity. Jayfeather felt his anger boil and he glared at the ground, wishing that he could dig his actual claws into the ground. But his fury soon was washed over with uncontrollable happiness.

Briarlight, she was still alive.

Without warning, the world started turning. Clover's form stood up and began dipping to pick up one of the kits, but he grew too dizzy to watch it. He blink all but once, and a new scene was in front of him. All of his happiness, his risen-back-up hope, drowned in horror again.

A brown cat lied in a bloody heap, gashes and wounds all over her body. Shouting throbbed over him, muffled and seemingly distance. His legs acted on their own, rising up to run over to her body. But as he ran and ran and ran, her body grew farther away, the darkness starting to swallow her up.

Something in him snapped finally.

"BRIARLIGHT! Come back! Please, COME BACK!" He screamed with all his might, not caring that it hurt even his own ears. Tears fell like waterfalls down his face, his heart clenching all the wrong ways. His body tripped over something, causing him to tumble in a cloud of fur and dust. Jayfeather tried getting up, but he could feel himself fading away.

"No…please…I can't…Briarlight...Please come back to me…" He sobbed till his throat was raw and hurt to breathe. Something was pulling him back, too fast for his liking. The world grew dizzying and dark—

.

.

"Jayfeather! Wake up!"

Someone was shaking him furiously. He snapped awake, gasping and coughing suddenly. He looked around, but his sight was pitch black. A stab of anger went through him. _'I'm blind again! Fox-breath!' _

"Jayfeather! Are you okay?!" A feminine voice gasped in relief. It was Brightheart.

"Wha…what happened?" He panted, sitting upright. His neck felt stiff, sore, while his throat was drier than sand. His voice was scratchy, weak even.

Brightheart moved around him and soak some moss in the puddle inside the medicine den. She pushed it towards him and watched him drink eagerly, like a kit that hadn't drunk in days. As he did so, she explained, "You were calling out in your sleep, Jayfeather. I had been out on a patrol and I heard you and immediately came over to see if you were okay. I tried to wake you up, shaking you so hard I thought I was going to hurt your head. But you never woke up; you just kept crying out hoarsely, almost as if you were in…mourning."

Jayfeather wished he could see Brightheart's face, to tell if she was really telling the truth. Fortunately, his powers were activated and he saw in his mind what Brightheart had seen with her own eyes. He had been thrashing around, his face dripping with tears, his mouth opened and calling out unconsciously to one cat that wasn't there for him.

_'It didn't feel like a dream,'_ He thought with a shudder, _'That was a nightmare that felt so real…was it? Those two she-cats? The eight kits?'_

"Jayfeather? Are you listening, dear?" Brightheart asked, poking him in the shoulder a little. He jumped a little, his heart suddenly pounding against his chest. But Brightheart had his attention again. "You…you were screaming out…a name….you were screaming out Briarlight's name." She paused, the air growing still. "Dear, do you honestly miss her that much?"

Jayfeather's face grew hot from embarrassment and anger. He didn't know. He truthfully didn't know anymore. The gray tabby never replied, instead curling back up and moving away from the warrior she-cat. He closed his eyes, faking that he was asleep, until he heard the fading shuffling of Brightheart leaving the den.

As soon as the den grew cold again, only then did Jayfeather allow the hot tears to fall from his blind eyes. He didn't get any more sleep; his mind was too haunted by the image of Briarlight—his best friend, Briarlight—dead on the bloodied soil.

* * *

**...Yep. Before anyone gets freaky, Jayfeather's POV dream actually happened right when Viola was attacked. I know; it was evil to kill her off. However…her legacy is not been forgotten, and she never will be forgotten. **

**No IFT this time. I think all of our brains are fried with this chapter. I'll leave it as that for the next chapter ;) **

**Comment on how you liked the chapter! If you have any questions, please verify them either via reviewing or through PM. Either way, the questions shall be answered! **

**Until next time~**


	23. Chapter 21

**I apologize for my absence! School is back in business! Plus I've been dwindled to a smaller limited time on the internet outside of school, which will only decrease :( I know, I am not happy about it either. But it's life :S **

**Hope you like it! Review if you have comments, questions, etc.**

**I do not own the Warrior cat series. All original references, characters, ideas, etc. belong in the ownership of the amazing Erin Hunter.**

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**Chapter 21**

Her heart raced as she tried to search for the little bodies in the dense forest. Her breathing was rough, coming out in transparent puffs. She would die to make sure that those kits were alive and well. Every few heartbeats, she would jump above the bush line, trying to see if she was close to breaking free of them. She heard rustling behind her and she tensed, dipping low to the ground.

But before she could think twice of pouncing, a black cloud began to form in front of her. Soon, the black she-kit she vaguely remembered from her dreams came to view. Her white eyes may've appeared blank, but she could see the fear etched deeply into her face.

"This way, Live One! I found them!" She whispered, as if she was afraid that whomever was following them would actually hear her ghostly voice. Without asking for an explanation, Briarlight ran after the black kit, blood thrumming loudly in her ears.

_'Please be alive, kits! Please be, for StarClan sake!'_ She prayed loudly.

_(Flashback)_

_ Briarlight woke up from her nap when the sun was just above the horizon line of the hills. Mixed colors in the sky created a beautiful view from Riley's bed. She stretched out her legs and jumped down from the warming sheets where SJ and Maple continued to sleep. The brown warrior wanted to wake them up as well, but she assumed they would awaken on their own in a while. _

_ She walked down the stairs and saw that the door leading into the surgery room was ajar slightly. Briarlight, being such a young and curious she-cat, slowly inched over to it, peeking through with her head. _

_ Inside, Riley and Trent were talking with one another, the male No-Collar having his foreleg around Riley's shoulders; a sign that Briarlight picked up indicating an attempt to comfort one who is upset. Briarlight moved back, but kept her ears perked to listen to them. _

_ Fortunate for her, she could understand their tongue again._

"Is she going to be okay, hun?" _Trent asked softly, rubbing her shoulder slightly._

"Yeah she will…but this lovely cat is pregnant. I have to get a check up on her kittens to see if they are going to live still. She looks about four weeks into her pregnancy, so the babies are still developing."

"Certainly, Riley. You know, you do a wonderful job taking care of all these animals. But…don't you think you're missing some things in your life because you don't…you know…talk around people much?"

_ Riley laughed. It wasn't bitter, but rather openly light. _"I get where you're going, Trent, but I…I've never had a tight connection with any people. Not since I was a teenager. After everyone I loved sorta…moved on, I decided to keep myself occupied as much as possible to keep my heart from remembering the good times. I love what I do, Trent, and I always will. And…"_ She paused, a blush coming across her naked face, _"I wouldn't mind if I had another person to guide alongside."

_ Trent smirked and chuckled. _"I would be proud and delighted to take up that position. I don't suppose your family would mind?"_ Something in his voice told Briarlight he was indicating towards her and the other animals. _

_ Riley laughed with him. _"They love you just as much as I've come to as well."_ There was a pause and Briarlight peeked in just in time to see Trent and Riley leaned towards one another and had placed their lips to the other sweetly. _

'Is that how they confess their love to another they care for?'_ She thought, feeling a little blush come onto her face at the sight. She hadn't seen any other cat do that, merely rub and lick in comfort. _'No-Collars sure are an odd creature.'

_ A sneeze broke through the silence, causing the No-Collars to pull away and look at the cage down below them at their feet. Riley and Trent both smiled and got up, walking in the direction of the door. Briarlight backed away just in time to avoid having her muzzle smashed in accidently. They walked by her, oblivious of her hiding. Riley absently began shutting the door behind her_ _and Briarlight took the chance to sneak into the surgery room, using one hindleg to stop the door to shut completely on her. _

_ The lights had been turned off in the bleached-smelling room, though the dim lighting of the rest of the house brought a little hue into the room. The warrior she-cat looked over at the cages. Riley's patients had all gone home, so there was only the black and white she-cat that Maple saved left. Briarlight walked over to her and gazed inside the cage curiously. _

_ The stranger's breathing was normal, steadier than what it was before. And—true to Riley's keen observation before—the she-cat was indeed pregnant._ _She was only a little ways into it, however. No dangerous wounds had been inflicted on her, shockingly, but rather dirt and dust still clung to her pelt. A cord had been placed into her nose, a machine just outside clinging to the cage door causing light, rhythmic beeping noises; it was her heartbeat. _

_ Briarlight couldn't fathom at why the she-cat was buried in the ground. Clearly, another cat would've done such a cold action to her. Her fur bristled in anger. "StarClan why are you doing this? Meadow, are you even seeing the terrible things these monsters are doing to our kin?" She whispered, hot tears coming up to blur her vision. _

_ "Mmmhhmmwha… wha…" The she-cat was talking! She was awake now. Briarlight calmed her pounding heart and pushed a paw through one of the many holes of the cage. The black and white cat tried to get up, only to hiss in pain._

_ "It's okay, miss. My friend saved your life. Do not push yourself too much, please. You must store up your energy." Briarlight said in a comforting tone. She appeared dazed, her eyes slightly dilated._

_ After a few heartbeats, the she-cat's eyes widened in realization. The beeping of her machine went up a little. "Where are they?! Did you bring them here with you?! PLEASE! _TELL ME_!" She gasped in fear._

_ Briarlight took a few steps back in startle. "Wha-What do you mean, miss…"_

_ "Clover, my name is Clover. But that is of no immediate concern, cat. Where are they?! Where are the kits?" _

_ Briarlight narrowed her eyes, her puzzlement growing. "We didn't find any kits, Clover. My friend Maple found you and decided to bring you here, our nesthold." As the warrior she-cat said that, though, a stone of dread grew in her stomach. _

_ Clover's eyes widened impossibly more. "I have to find them! They'll kill them! I promised…I promised her…" _

_ It started growing larger. Briarlight dared herself to speak out, "Who 'her'?" _

_ Clover looked up at her, her eyes twinkling with anxiety. "A white queen…she died about five days ago—"_

_ Before she had the sentence completely out of her mouth, Briarlight had disappeared out of the room, sprinting towards the kitchen. She nearly ran over Maple and SJ along the way._

_ "Briarlight! Where are you—"_

_ "Viola's kits! They're alive!" She screamed over her shoulder. "I have to save them!" Without another word, she jumped through the porch animal door and raced faster than she expected out to the forest._

_(End of Flashback) _

So now Briarlight ran hard with Little One ahead of her for guidance. The wind blew like hissing in her ears, the twigs and leaves snapping upon contact with her form. The warrior slowly down to a jog, whipping her head around to find any view of the kits in the brush.

"Little One! Where are they?!" She panted, not seeing the black floating kit anywhere. Suddenly, she heard loud mewling coming close by. Her heart sped up tenfold. Briarlight pushed through another round of thorns and leaves to find eight wriggling kits snuggled comfortingly in a large nest.

Briarlight felt like she could breathe again when she saw that they were all okay. _'Viola…you birthed beautiful sons and daughters…'_ She thought in admiration. They wailed, clearly searching for something to eat. She looked around quickly, seeing as no one had followed her in the direction of the kits yet.

Briarlight got closer to them, lying down on her side so that her belly was bare for them to get close to her warmth. She gasped in pain when two of the kits bit down on her teats, thus began to suckle uselessly for milk. She pulled away a little when they all crowded over her, suddenly afraid that her teats would be chewed off.

"Thank StarClan you're all okay…" She whispered, leaning down to lick the brown she-kit cooing against her foreleg.

"If I didn't know any better, Live One, you look as if **you're** their mother."

Briarlight glanced up to see Little One's black form appear beside her. She smiled. "Thank you, Little One. You've saved their lives from death."

Little One's moon-white eyes stared blankly at the warrior she-cat for many heartbeats. Then she looked at the ground. "Lead One doesn't know that I left Nothingness, Live One. I…I'm too scared to be there. They'll take me away," Little One whimpered.

Briarlight furrowed her eyes. "Who will take you away?" The question hung in the air. She sighed, wanting nothing more than to pull the black she-kit up next to Viola's kits. "Little One, I am not trying to hurt you. It's those cats who attacked me, killed all those other innocent cats, they are the ones who we are fearing now. They killed Viola. They buried Clover alive and left her for a slow death…please, I need your help to bring them to justice. No other cat—except Maple and SJ—will listen to me openly. But can you tell me who is it that you're afraid will take you away?"

The tiny black she-kit was quiet again, but she finally spoke, "The Something cats are fighting with Nothingness right now. We are confused and scared. And because I am of black and not white, Something tried to kill off everyone in order to take me to their side to fight with them. Big One protected me long enough for me to escape the fight and come here. I've been wandering around for days and I…I think I can help you with who is killing all the cats."

Hope rose in Briarlight's heart. "Who is it, Little One? Can you take me to a place that can help me with solving this mystery?"

Little One nodded more eagerly, a small smile appearing on her face. "I can, but I can't say who it is to you. I'll get into trouble. It could change your path for the worse instead of better."

_'It makes sense now,'_ Briarlight thought. _'Cats who have died can't reveal anything too important to the living ones. I bet Jayfeather has had his fair share of untold secrets and quizzes from StarClan cats.'_ The thought of the handsome gray tabby made her heart skip a beat. _'I miss him so much…but I've promised to help with this mess. And I can't break such a vow, not yet. But I will return home…I swear…'_

"Live One, you must listen clear and well, now," Little One said sternly, her black fluffy tail swishing over her tiny paws. "When the others come, you must take the kits home and then head straight into the city. Make sure you don't tell this to your Lead One. When you get there, you mustn't talk to **any** cat there. Find the tom with one eye and follow him. Be careful…" Her voice began to fade off.

Briarlight wanted to plead for Little One to explain more, but it would be fruitless. She watched the black dead kit disappear from view, leaving the warrior she-cat alone; though only for a moment.

Rustling in the distance, along with the nearby thrumming of footsteps, reached to Briarlight, making her stand on alert. She stood above the kits, ignoring the cries of protest from them and placed herself in-between them. It became louder, and she unsheathed her claws, digging her hind ones into the ground to stand firmer.

Just as her heart felt like it would explode from the suspense, a deep bark resonated above the bushes; a bark that was familiar and soothed her body. Breaking into the thicket of leaves came King, who was followed by Maple and SJ. Briarlight let out a sigh of relief, licking Maple on the head and brushing up against SJ.

"Oh dear Meadow ancestors…they're so precious and so…many of them." Maple giggled, leaning down to lick one on the head sweetly. SJ did the same for another.

"We need to get them back to the nesthold, girls," Briarlight said. King leaned in and nudged Briarlight on the side. She looked up to see that he had a basket on the back of his shoulders. She smiled wide. **"Perfect, King! Thank you!"**

One by one, Maple, SJ, and Briarlight placed the kits into the basket carefully after King had dropped it to the ground. To ensure that they wouldn't cry so much, Briarlight jumped into it and laid down behind them. Within moments they were nipping hungrily at her teats again.

**"Alright, King. Let's head back!"** SJ yipped at the white German Shepard. He sunk his teeth into the handle of the basket and heaved up, causing it to swing a little. The kits wailed in confusion, so Briarlight hushed them softly, licking their heads in comfort. Soon, they calmed down as they got accustomed to the swinging of the basket.

Briarlight used her tail to push the eight kits closer to her belly as a breeze blew over them. _'So fragile…do other queens feel this protective of their kits?' _She wondered to herself.

King carried her back to the nesthold, where he laid the basket down on the porch and barked loudly. The kits, startled by the sudden loud noises, started to cry again. Only when Briarlight started licking their heads again did they quiet down.

But not before Riley and Trent had arrived to them first.

The No-Collar gasped in awe, Briarlight feeling almost knocked over by shock and motherly concern from her. She bent down close to their level and gingerly picked up on of the kits. Something inside of Briarlight wanted to hiss protectively, grab the kit and lick it to comfort again. But she held it down, knowing that Riley would take good care of a kit like Viola's.

Riley quietly shushed the kit when it began to squirm in her firm but gentle grasp. She brought it close to her chest and used one claw to rub it up and down its head. She glanced down at the older animals and furrowed her brows. Briarlight felt a little uncertainty rise up over the previous emotions. _'Why is she worried? Surely she will take care of the kits!' _Her mind screamed.

A pregnant pause rose between them, before Riley finally sighed in defeat. She gave them a wink, placed the little kit back beside all of its siblings, before taking Briarlight out of the basket, setting her down and then picking up the basket. The brown she-cat knew that the kits were in safe paws for sure now.

She turned in time to stop Maple and SJ. "I need you two to come with me. Now." She simply stated. Both were a little confused, but they nodded obediently and started after Briarlight when she began running from the home. King watched them curiously, but didn't follow them, only entering the house to see if his master needed any 'help'.

.

.

Neither of the Savannah mix sisters asked where Briarlight was taking them, but they had speculations as they grew closer to the city border. Briarlight gagged at the overwhelming stench of monsters and orders she couldn't even begin to make out. _'How can any creature—especially _cats!_—live in a dump like this ungrateful place?'_ She thought with disgust.

"Geesh! I'm so glad Riley adopted us away from this place!" Maple finally exclaimed, breaking the silence. They ran under a bridge for monsters and climbed up the stone siding, Briarlight needing a little assistance. Grunting, they pulled her up and over only to duck under the railing along the side of the bridge. Monsters were louder than Briarlight had expected, her ears throbbing painfully as they roared and groaned loudly.

"You two lived here before?" Briarlight inquired.

The sisters nodded. "Yeah. We were born here in the city, and we left with a 'good riddance' goodbye," SJ explained as they stopped under a bus stop spot. She lift a paw to her face and began washing. "We are SO happy living in the suburban lands than this dump." The roar of monsters passing by on the dead-ground made them all jumpy.

"I can clearly see…" Briarlight mumbled to herself. She looked around and saw a No-Collar coming their way. She backed away out of view. "A No-Collar is coming! We'll need to jump out now. Ready —"

"Wait, Briar—!" Maple started to speak.

"—now!"

Before she could jump out, Maple got ahold of her scruff, pulling her back roughly. The warrior turned on her and went to snap at her, but a loud hissing noise startled her quiet. All three of them jumped and ducked under the small space from the ground and the bench inside the little bus stop. Briarlight hated how her heart raced so fast all because of the loud sounds.

"Look! There's our ticket into the city!" Maple whispered, pointing to what made the loud hissing. A monster—clearly a bus—had stopped at the little section. It was big, bigger than Riley's monster by what seemed like foxlengths.

"We are not going to get on **that**!" Briarlight growled, shaking slightly.

"It's our only quick way into and out of the city, Briar! We've got no other choice," SJ persisted. She became the first to move out from underneath the bench. "Now let's go!"

Briarlight didn't have the time to answer as the Oriental Savannah mix disappeared stealthily through the long hindlegs of No-Collars. Maple pushed her forward roughly—almost throwing her clean off her paws—in pursuit of SJ. The No-Collars absently walked onto the long monster, talking rather loudly over one another's voices. Briarlight flattened her ears to her head. _'Riley and Trent aren't nearly as bad as this.'_ She groaned inwardly.

She gasped as a paw nearly crushed her own feet. She grew slightly panicked and began to back up. But she heard more footfall come from behind her and was forced again to move forward. When she finally got past the steps into the long monster, she glanced over and saw SJ underneath one of the seats. She rushed under next to her side, panting slightly in fear. The silver gray tabby placed her fluffy tail on Briarlight's shoulder. Maple dove under the seat and made herself comfortable opposite of her older sister.

Though they said no words, Briarlight already felt safer. _'They know the city better than I on any sunrise,'_ She thought.

"Briar, you need to calm down, or else you'll be dead before we enter the city," Maple whispered softy. Briarlight nodded silently and took a few heartbeats to settle her racing muscle organ.

The ride had been bumpy and very loud, much to Briarlight's annoyance. The long monster didn't have the muffling noise that Riley's tamed one did. It shook, it groaned, even grunted occasionally. She would look to Maple or SJ and they would both soothe her back to a calmer state of mind.

_'StarClan, I wish I was back at the nesthold, relaxing alongside the kits, the dogs, Riley…even Trent…'_ She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined the nesthold, warm and secure. Riley sitting on the sofa, tending to one of the many little squirming kits that resided up against Briarlight's belly, desperately searching for a queen's milk.

But then…the scene changed behind her eyes.

The room faded away like water, but not in a scary way. On the contrary, it blended back into her birthplace; ThunderClan. Cats were relaxing, enjoying the spring rays that filtered through the trees around them. Briarlight smiled at the image, but it soon slowly turned into a frown.

'_Where is my true home? Riley's nesthold and the barn—though I haven't been there for a terribly long time—they feel like home. But…I've lived in ThunderClan since I was born on the other paw…'_ She battled to and fro with her ideas. A flash of gray emerged into her mind, one that had blue eyes so bright they seemed to glow, no matter the emotion. Her face grew hot and she smiled.

"Jayfeather…" She breathed aloud accidentally.

"You say something, Briar?" Maple broke her from her train of thoughts.

Briarlight wanted to lie, but she could never touch that line when it came to the sisters on either side of her. They gave up what seemed like little to help her, and they were glad to do so; because it was who they were. The warrior she-cat smiled and opened her eyes to meet the large Savannah's deep green ones. "I was thinking of my home…of ThunderClan."

"I've always wondered how your Clan looks from the inside. Never got close enough to see it," Maple said. "Are all of your cats stiff-headed?"

A laugh escaped from all three of their mouths.

"Well, I guess since I've seen the differences between the barn and the Clan when it comes to rules, yeah. The Clans are—what would be the right word…"

"—paranoid?" SJ chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Not to hurt the Clan's dignity, Briar, but have you ever wondered if there was an easier way to, let's say, change the rules?"

"StarClan no! The rules haven't been changed at all since they were first established," She exclaimed quietly.

"Okay, kitty girl, then how about this? Has it not occurred to you that the codes of the Clans have been broken numerous times, by any and all the Clans at least once?"

Briarlight thought about it. Though she was only two and a half seasons old, the codes had been broken according to stories told by Mousefur and Purdy numerous times. Maple was, sadly, right. Katie had laid down the rules of the barns, which were quite logical and very equal upon the lands. _'Maybe the Clans do need to change. But…nobody has ever done that before!'_

Her thoughts were interrupted again when the long monster gave an extra loud hiss and was slowly coming to a halt. SJ shifted from paw to paw in anxiety.

"Okay, here's what we'll do," The silver tabby began, "When the No-Collar driver opens the door, we jump out before any other No-Collars can get out. They may only yell in surprise so be prepared."

"Right." Briarlight and Maple said.

The long monster let out another loud hiss, coming to a complete stop. The No-Collar driver pressed a button and the doors began to open. Briarlight moved the quickest, springing out from underneath the seating inside the long monster to the outside world. Sure enough, some yelps and shouts came from the unsuspected No-Collars.

But when she did land out of the long monster, Briarlight lost the will to breathe correctly.

The stenches had increased hundredfold, the same going for all of the loud noises of the city. She couldn't move, as if her claws had dug her permanently to the ground. Everything suddenly became too much for her again. Her body began to shake uncontrollably, the beyond tree length tall towers skyrocketing high above her head seemingly drawing closer and closer to her. She was terrified of the thought that they would swallow her whole.

A hard shove to the rump made Briarlight topple to the ground, as well as snapping her back to the present. She looked behind her only to feel a pair of sharp teeth grab onto her scruff and began pulling her away. She struggled but stopped when she saw that it was Maple pulling her.

The Savannah she-cat pulled Brairlight into an alleyway, SJ following closely behind, keeping her eyes open and ears perked for any suspicions.

"Briar!" Maple nudged the still shaking warrior. When Briarlight didn't respond, she used her tail and slapped her across the face. It seemed to do the job.

"Wha…?" Briarlight mumbled, shaking her head. "Maple! What…what is this horrid place?! It smells, it's loud, it's…it's…"

"Briarlight you need to calm down for us _right now_," Maple said seriously, her coppery green eyes staring dangerously into her own. "We need to stay focus for the sake of the barn. Do you understand me?"

Even though they were younger than her by a few moons, Briarlight felt like she was being told by an elder or senior warrior. She nodded and took several deep breaths to calm her heart again, repeating over in her mind those same words. After a few minutes, she got up, apologizing for her freak out.

"It's not a biggie, kitty girl," Maple said with a grin. "Any cat who had to suddenly move into such a smelly environment would be just as overwhelmed as you, Briar."

"So, here's the next problem, ladies; where would a cat—suspiciously a killer—be roaming about here in the city limits?" SJ questioned.

"That's where we are stuck…" Maple groaned, her tail slapping the ground with loud thumps in irritation.

Briarlight thought back to what Little One had told her. _'Find the tom with one eye and follow him.' _She looked down to her paws, her face furrowed in deep thought. Then she got an idea. "Maple. SJ. Do you recall ever seeing where the wild cats here in the city went to when you were little?"

The sisters were quiet for a moment, before SJ spoke, "Well…there is a park in the middle of the city, sort of like a nature resort for the wildlife and whatnot. From where our former home was, we could see cats walking to that area."  
"Yeah, and all of the streets—well most of them leading into the city—end up crossing through into the park area," Maple added in. "We never were allowed outside because of the monsters roaming about constantly, but we did keep a curious lookout for the wild alley cats."

"Lead me there, please. It's the best start we have right now," Briarlight said.

Maple was first to walk out of the alley, Briarlight next with SJ behind her as a guard. The city noisy and uncomfortable to see happy things. Metal trees soared up into the sky, as if they could penetrate through Silverpelt's invisible form. Monsters ran on the roads, kicking up dirty puddles and dust. Briarlight would cough every time they gave off their disgusting and tart black smoke, her throat constricting tight and her eyes watering.

_'When I get back to the nesthold after this whole ordeal, I'm taking a long and thorough wash!_' She thought angrily.

The sisters guided the warrior she-cat through quieter streets and more alleyways as if they had lived in them instead of in one of the metal trees with their family. Briarlight noticed through the opening of yet another alleyway they were walking through a flush of green. By now, they sky was dark, clouds covering up the moon and Silverpelt. Briarlight shuddered at the thought of StarClan possibly being mad at her…

"Briar! Check this out!" SJ called out to her. The warrior moved to stand beside the Oriental mix and saw that, across the road dividing in-between them, lied the park. It was as if someone had taken a huge chunk of the forest and dropped it right into the city life.

Low and behold, Briarlight had also found her cat; the tom with only one eye.

He crossed the street through a large group of No-Collars, invisible to them if they didn't peer down at him. When he reached the side in which the three she-cats were watching from, he turned around a corner, his tail disappearing last from their view.

"That's our cat! We have to follow him!" Briarlight hissed, going to sneak out of their alley. However, Maple pulled her back by her tail.

"It's near impossible for us to sneak through the city like he can, Briar," She growled. "We need to get higher or lower in order to follow him without his knowing first."

Briarlight cursed and looked up at the metal trees. They were close to each other, only a few times they would break into larger spaces when monsters gathered at a stop. Luckily, thick black vines had to be attached to the metal trees.

A mischievous thought had slithered into her clever mind.

"We go up," Briarlight stated simply. SJ and Maple looked up in unison. If they had been No-Collars, their faces would've paled a shade or two. Briarlight didn't wait for them as she saw an opened door leading into one of the metal trees. With a flick of her tail, she ran over to it, sleeking her form past it. Maple and SJ simply followed her in pursuit.

They had to climb what seemed like an endless route of staircases upwards till they pushed out of another door leading out to the top, opened spot of the metal tree. Briarlight was surprised how far away all of the noise down below her paws seemed now.

She looked over to the next metal tree, the space in-between the one she was on now appearing easy to jump over to. But she knew that she would have to jump far and high.

"Do you think we can make it, Briarlight?" Maple gulped nervously.

Briarlight shook her head. "Don't think. Just…feel," She whispered, moving to the opposite end of the metal tree. SJ and Maple did the same, both taking a few breaths for comfort. "I'll go first," The warrior she-cat said, mainly to herself.

Briarlight was shaking on the inside, but she would not let it come in-between her and her life. _'Don't think. Just feel, like Katie told me. I have to do this for everyone…for Soul…for Amy…for ThunderClan…for Jayfeather. I have to let go of my fears…'_

Soon, all sound—including her thoughts—drifted into a muffling noise in the background. Briarlight adjusted her footing before she pushed herself forward, quickly going into her all-out sprint.

The edge came closer and closer, but she didn't ponder on it. Briarlight gave one last prayer to StarClan and leapt clean off to metal tree.

Time slowed down in Briarlight's opinion, she forced her eyes open to see the other side coming closer and closer. Then she felt herself start to descend back down. Just as she began to doubt she would make it, Briarlight felt the pads of her front paws touch the cold top of the other metal tree. Out of shock, her body struggled to come to a complete stop, skidding across the cold stone unsteadily. When she did stop, Briarlight jumped in joy, giggling madly.

"I did it! **I DID IT**!" She chirped, turned around to see Maple and SJ cheering too. "Come on, girls! You can do it!" She called out to them.

Maple went next, taking only five long and strong strides before she jumped. It should've been easier for her, considering the Savannah had the body necessary for such jump. She landed, however she began to slip off when her back legs were unable to latch onto the stone top of the metal tree. Briarlight bit into her scruff to help pull her up. Panting, Maple thanked her.

SJ was last, and she made it such an ease. She leaped elegantly and landed on all four, not remotely shaken up. Briarlight nudged her teasingly. "If I didn't know any better, you had a special power in jumping farther."

The silver tabby shifted shyly. "Actually, that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Maple's got extra sensing abilities, you've got fast running, and I have high jumping." She gave a shy chuckle.

"Well, we can chat about that later. We've got work to do." Briarlight insisted, receiving two nods in agreement.

Briarlight lead the rest of the way, all three of them jumping from stone tree to stone tree, as well as walking carefully across tightrope like dark vines. She spotted the same one eyed tom below her after several long minutes. He walked briskly, but not so that it appeared he knew that they were following him high above.

He continued his walking for almost five tree-lengths, before he turned into a much smaller alleyway, causing Briarlight, Maple, and SJ to slowly ease their way down the stone tree they were perched on.

The warrior scurried to the ground, her claws scrapping against the stone exterior. Her hind feet touched first, allowing her to let go and move over to the small alleyway. It was pit black, the only lightning being the street lamps that glowed in the growing darkness behind Briarlight's form. She could fit herself into it, though not without instantly feeling like she was crowded by hundreds of rocks. She paused in her walking, giving enough time for her eyes to adjust slowly on the pitch blackness. Maple and SJ nudged up behind her, their bigger bodies—despite being muscularly lean—pushing with difficulty into the alleyway.

"What do you think could be through here, Briar?" Maple whispered in the she-cat's ear. "There isn't anything around here."

"That may seem so…however, perhaps it's not what's through here," Briarlight mumbled. "but rather hiding here—"

As Briarlight began slithering farther into the alleyway, it was like someone had suddenly dropped the ground away from her paws. She didn't realize it until it was too late.

Briarlight toppled forward and simply dropped down. "BRIARLIGHT!" She heard Maple and SJ scream above her as she fell. For several heartbeats, the brown she-cat thought she was floating; that is, until the ground out of nowhere came back. She landed hard on her side, her breath being knocked out of her lungs with a grunt. Briarlight tried to move, but her body seemed to be numb. She waited a moment before trying a second time, sighing as she stood stiffly. She wobbled when the world began to spin.

"Briar! Briarlight?! Are you okay?" Maple called down to her. Briarlight looked around, seeing barely lit bulbs illuminating the place. She gagged at the aroma smell of sewage.

_'How can any cat withstand this stench?!_' Her mind screamed. Then it dawned upon her_. 'No cat's nose would take these smells, unless they've been coming here for a meaning. All others would just leave instantly!'_

"Maple! SJ! Come down here quick!" She hissed to up above, seeing their head shaped out through the darkness. She waited as the sound of claws touching metal echoed noisily. When she felt a tail on her shoulder, she turned to see SJ beside her. Maple shook off some moldy leaves as she stood up straighter.

"Whoa!" Maple said in awe. "So this is where all the dump No-Collars make goes to…"

"Maybe not, lil' sis," SJ intervened. "There are other possible places. This just looks like a disgusting place for the liquids to go to."

Not wanting to hear any more of the disturbing ethnics of No-Collars, Briarlight interrupted them with a sharp 'shush'. Both instantly clamped up, bowing their heads in apology.

Unsure that heading back up would be a good idea, Briarlight instead began to trot farther into the sewers. She sheathed her claws, hating how they clicked almost like how the dogs do. The sisters did the same, staying close beside her. The river of sewage to her left was a dark, ugly green, giving off an even worse stench now that she stood only a few good pawsteps from the edge.

She could hear claws clicking, immediately knowing it could possibly any of them. The clicking of claws was replaced with a gruff voice hissing, "I don't see why we has to scout these sewers, man!"

"Because our leader said so, idiot! We need to be on guard now that those pesky rural cats are getting tenser than before," Another voice snarled. "Soon, we will be the controllers over them. And our leader shall earn his rightful place in the community."

"Get back!" Briarlight whispered harshly, pushing Maple and SJ into a tight corner that all three she-cats could barely fit into. They held their breath as two black toms, both strong and holding a dominating darkness to them, walk past. However, they scurried further into the tight area when one of them halted and sniffed the air.

"Huh. That's odd…" He mumbled, sniffing harder. "I smell she-cats."

"Ooh, I've been wanting to get my paws some for some time. But work has had to be dealt," The second tom laughed.

_'What a good for nothing pig!'_ Briarlight thought in disgust, but nearly gasped out loud when the tom tried to stick his head through the gap in the sewers; the one they were hiding helplessly in. She swallowed a whimpered when his nose was only paws away from her own.

She could hear his sniffing for her and the sisters.

She was so scared, she thought her heart would burst.

She thought he could hear her heart.

She—

"Hey! Let's go! There's nothing in there, Jolt. Quit be so annoying," The second tom growled, causing Jolt to pull back and away. Even after that happened, Briarlight dared herself not to breath for her aching lungs.

When their clicking claws faded away, only then did Briarlight topple out of the gap, panting to calm her racing heart. Maple and SJ landed on her, unable to move from their paralyzed shock for several heartbeats.

Standing up slowly, Briarlight looked to see that the two toms had travelled in the direction that—consequentially—Maple, SJ, and her had dropped in from. Then she peered over from where the toms came from; the tunnel of the sewers continued on around a corner. Underneath her paws, she could feel distant rumbling of other cats.

"I can sense them through the air as well, Briar," Maple gulped. "I'm…I'm sad to say that I'm a bit scared."

"Now isn't the time to turn tail, my sister," SJ sighed. "We need to continue."

"Right," Briarlight whispered. "Come on."

They strolled cautiously in the direction that the tom had come from. The air was no longer silent; a chorus of muffle talking in the distance. Her heart thumped harder with the increasing vibrations underneath her paws. She calmed herself into not unsheathing her claws yet; for it could very likely give them away, even over the talking.

What seemed like hours they continued walking—in which was actually long minutes—they reached the point that the sewers began to enlarge more, as well as going deeper. Pipes danced above their heads in a mash of metal knotted together it seemed. Briarlight stopped in her tracks, hearing many voices shout and hiss just around the corner.

She turned to Maple and SJ, giving them a tail signal to keep still and silent as she maneuvered into yet another small space in between two large pipes. They followed her quietly, freezing as they were adjusting their position when a loud snarl echoed around them,

**"SILENCE!" **

They looked at one another when the voices suddenly dissipated into nothing, the last of them fading farther down the sewers. They waited several heartbeats when the voice—clearly a male—spoke once more; "The time has finally come, my sons, brothers, sisters, and daughters! For tonight, we will vanquish those leaders who dare to object to us and our laws!"

A chorus of approval cried. It was so full of dark and madness that Briarlight shudder involuntarily. Maple's body stiffened, her lips curled in a semi-snarl.

"Great One! What shall become of the survivals?" A male follower asked.

"I say we tear them to pieces!" Another laugh mercilessly.

"NO! Take them as slaves to punish them!"

"Enough, you idiots!" The leader growled. They obeyed. "To answer your stupidity of a question: we shall kill those who dare to fight back, but keep and punish repeatedly those who are weak. They will understand that our laws were right in the beginning. They will pay for our suffering!"

SJ's fluffy tail tapped on Briarlight's shoulder, startling her a little. Not saying a word, SJ gestured for them to follow her further into the tiny space. Doing so, the warrior and Savannah were shocked to discover that it actually opened up, revealing a impossibly large amount of cats gathered around a fallen pipe.

"Dear Meadow…it can't be…" SJ gasped.

"Huh?" Briarlight chirped quietly as the voice continued speaking. She couldn't see a whole lot, so she maneuvered her smaller form underneath SJ's, her head coming out just in-between the Oriental mix's forelegs.

StarClan, she wished she hadn't done so.

Standing on the highest point of the fallen pipe was a male tom, scraggy, gruff; and with the twisted scowl burned on his face that screamed, "Revenge shall be proven".

"_Rover_…" She unconsciously breathed in pure horror.

* * *

**Well well well~ Looks like we find out Rover has something up his paw now B) I know, I'm evil MWAHAHAHAHA! **

**No IFT this time. But I promise they will start up again! So much is going on that I haven't been able to have enough time to look for facts ;;n;; I'm sorry!**

**Comment on how you liked the chapter! If you have any questions, please verify them either via reviewing or through PM. Either way, the questions shall be answered! **

**Until next time~**


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